Colors of Life
by Izuno
Summary: More than anything else in the world, Serena wanted to live a normal peaceful life. What happens when someone claims to be her husband and that she has a child when she was never married in the first place? Read & Review! Update: Epilogue!
1. Prologue

Hi, everyone. This is my first story. Please read and review. This story is not finished yet, but if the readers request it, then I shall. I'm predicting this story to be near 8 or 9 chapters. Hope you like my story. Remember, review please!

Disclaimers: I do own any part of Sailor Moon and its characters. Heh, I wish I could I own Darien...(Not in a kinky way! Get your mind out off the gutter!)

Summary: More than anything else in the world, Serena wanted to live a normal peaceful life. What happens when someone claims to be her husband and that she has a child when she was never married in the first place? SerenaDarien. Read & Review!

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Title: Colors of Life  
Prologue  
Rating: PG

Color: Orange- The color of surprise and of ambition to succeed.

One autumn evening, three college girls sat together in their apartment chatting and working on their homework. Amy Anderson, with short black hair to her shoulders, is the smartest and has a perfect GPA. With her shy and bookworm appearance, Amy tends to avoid men. She says love makes her get rashes. Her ambition is to become a pediatrician like her mom. Rei Swann, with her long black hair to her mid-back, is smart, but people know her for her psychic abilities and for her graceful exotic appearance. Her ambition is to become an architect for unknown reasons. Serena Lionheart, with her unique "meatball" hairstyle and klutz attacks, may not be the brightest of the group, but because of her hard work, she is able to pass. Her ambition is to become an electrical engineer like her dad.

"Serena, how late are you going to stay up?" Amy came into Serena's room and set a glass of milk on the table for her. "If you need help, you can ask me. I don't mind helping you."

"I don't know. I'm almost done with physics. I have two more problems to do, but I'm not tired yet. I'll be awake till I get tired. I know you'll be there to help me, but if I want to learn, I want to try it by myself first. And if I fail, then I'll come to you. Amy, you are already strong and smart, and now, I have to get somewhat near your level. Please, don't worry about me. I'm fine." She grinned to ease Amy's worries. Serena has been staying up until one or two in the morning everyday studying. She knows that everyone is worried about her, but she can't help it. Her mind won't rest until she finishes everything she has to do. Of course, at times, her mind can't take any more information and turns into mush.

"Meatball Head, you better be asleep by one tonight. Otherwise, I'll kill you tomorrow." Rei came beside Amy and stood with her right elbow on Amy's shoulder.

"I'll try. I can't guarantee anything. Don't worry about me. I know my limit. You guys should go to bed. It's already past eleven." Serena reassured her friends and waved as they left. She smiled one last time thinking how wonderful her friends are before returning to work. They always watched her back. _Thank You, God, for giving me friends like them_.Amy, Rei, and Serena have all been friends since junior high. They went to the same high school and now, even though they don't take the same class in the same college, they live together watching each other's back. _Friendship can't get better than this._

Sighing happily, Serena closed her books and stretched her body releasing the tension in her muscles. She opened her bedroom door slowly not to awake her friends and walked to their kitchen to place her empty glass of milk. Moonlight shined into the kitchen and the living room near the balcony creating a calm image. Curious to see the full moon and wanting to feel the cool wind, she stepped outside to the balcony and leaned on its rail enjoying the breeze and scenery. Amazed, she watched the sky and the lights of the city beneath her. Some cars still drove on the streets at a little past one in the morning. She reasoned they were probably getting home from late shift or from partying. A car screeched loud as the driver pressed hard on the brakes disturbing Serena from her thoughts. _There wasn't any traffic at all so why brake so suddenly._ Not wanting to know what happened, she hurried inside for safety closing the balcony door and headed for her room to sleep.

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So, how was it? Good? Bad? Feel the need to throw tomatoes at me? Please, review and be honest. Thank you so much for talking your time to read this story.

- Izuno


	2. Chapter 1

Well, here is a new chapter. Normally, I won't update every other day. I'll try to update weekly. This is a special case because I think my readers want to read some romance so I updated. I hope you all like it. It is **much **longer than my first chapter. That's not even a chapter. Maybe, I should call that a prologue. I think I might edit the prologue because I found some mistakes after it was published. Anyway, let's move on. XD

Remember! Please read and review! Thank you!

Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing related to Sailor Moon and its characters.

Replys to Reviews:

sereNendy- I guess I shouldn't say how she "finds out" about her husband. It's more about how she got one. I'm really sorry about the confusion. I should change my summary.

Serena-and-Darien-4ever- Don't worry! I promise that I'll finish this story. Thank you so much. I don't like it when authors don't finish their work. It makes me sad so I'll be sure to finish it.

Now, on with the story!

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Previously on COL: 

_A car screeched loud as the driver pressed hard on the brakes disturbing Serena from her thoughts. There wasn't any traffic at all so why brake so suddenly. Not wanting to know what happened, she hurried inside for safety closing the balcony door and headed for her room to sleep._

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Title: Colors of Life  
Chapter 1  
Rating: PG 13 

Color: Green- The color of money and of jealousy.

"Meatball head, wake up!" Rei threw a pillow at Serena's face. Angry and frustrated, Rei didn't know what to do. She knew Serena is a deep sleeper, but God, a lightning bolt could strike her, and she wouldn't wake up! Growling, Rei stomped into the kitchen and found her secret weapon. Grinning evilly, she rushed into Serena's room once again and stood beside her bed to execute her plan.

Item(s): Two Frozen Ice Pieces

Plan: Insert ice in sensitive areas.

Noticing Serena sleeping on her side in her pink tank top and white shorts, Rei chuckled. _Oh, this is going to be so much fun. _She leaned with her hair tied back so that she was above Serena and quickly inserted an ice piece in Serena's bra and in her shorts. Or was it her underwear? Before Rei could retreat, a hand smacked her face, and Serena was awake yelping and screaming frantically. Serena jumped from her bed and bounced around the room trying to get the ice out. "Gee, thanks Serena! You smack me in the face when I was trying to wake you up?" Rei rubbed her wounded nose. "Don't you know that a girl's face is her life?"

Serena suddenly stopped and glared at her. "Take it out." She stalked toward Rei and pushed her on the bed. "Take it out! Take it out! IT'S COLD!" Serena whimpered as she shook Rei's body.

Scared and disgusted, Rei retorted trying to free herself. "No way! I'm not touching there!"

"YOU put it there!" Serena tightened her grip on her best friend. In the morning, her senses don't work properly and acts on impulse.

"Sick! Go ask Seiya next door! I'm sure he won't mind helping! In fact, he would love to help you unlike me." Rei grinned. Noticing Serena not releasing her and hearing Amy nearby, Rei pleaded "Amy! Amy, please help me from this Meatball Headed Monster!" Luckily for Rei, Ami poked her head inside.

"Children, please behave. Mommy is tired." Amy stated referring to herself as the mom and sipped her coffee at the doorway. "Has anyone seen the newspaper? I can't find it in the living room table." She went back into the hallway. "Serena, stop humping Rei. Please do it in a hotel or in your own house when you get one." Amy called out from the living room.

Slowing realizing how this situation might appear to others, Serena backed away from Rei. "I'll kill you next time." She glared and ran into the bathroom to clean herself. After a long thirty-minute shower, Serena, refreshed and relaxed in a pink robe, stepped out of the bathroom. Seeing her friends watching the eight o'clock news, Serena decided to eat her cereal, Lucky Charms. Munching on her food, she sat next to her friends and asked Rei "Why did you wake me up so early? I don't have class until ten today."

"Your mom called at seven, but you were too dead to hear it ringing." Rei answered. She watched Serena's expression change to worry or to concern. "Don't worry. She said she'll call you back later tonight. She just wanted to check up on you." With a nod, Serena watched the news.

"Apparently, some multi-billionaire's son is here. He is the leader of Shields Corporation, leading in computers. It seems as if they are about to open a new company here in San Francisco." Amy explained, "That's him right there."

With dark ebony hair near his sapphire eyes, he smiled showing his perfect teeth to the news reporter. "Well, the main reason I came here is to have a vacation with my family, but yesterday or should I say very early this morning, I found exactly what I was looking for and will be returning home tonight." He gave his gorgeous smile.

With a thank you, the news reporter returned to the TV. "Not only is he leading the generation into a new world of technology, but he is also known as one of the sexiest man alive in America. With his six foot four inches frame, broad shoulders, and slim hip, he is the dream man for many women across America, but I'm sorry, ladies. Mr. Darien Shields is no longer available. He is currently married to Mina Spears."

"Wow, he is hot. He is the type of man who can revive those hidden fairy tale dreams in all women's heart." Rei proclaimed as she stared out in space. "Makes you wish you were Mina, doesn't it?" Rei always dreamt about true love and living a happy family with her beloved, but her dream crashed last year.

Two years ago, when Rei was a sophomore in college, she fell madly in love with Yaten Stars, a junior. Yaten was the heir to SBS Corps, the second best in car production. They spent every minute they could with each other. He cared for all of her needs as she did with his. She went on a date with him every Sunday for the whole day and didn't return until it was night. To everyone else, they were the perfect couple on campus. Last year, on his graduation day, he proposed to her. Before she had the chance to answer, his mother knocked off the ring from his hands and insulted her for daring to love her son and wanting to marry him when she is just a poor priest's daughter.

After that day, Yaten was forced to leave for New York, and if he didn't, he would lose the company. When Yaten and his family left, Rei stood still as if she was a frozen ice statue. She didn't cry until they were out of sight but poured her heart out the whole night. She would look around her room, full of things he had given her, and cry once again remembering the sweet memories. For one week, she was depressed and barely talked to anyone. Hoping to soothe Rei's pain, Amy retrieved the ring from the ground for her. The ring was a white gold band with "I'll love you always. - Yaten" inscribed. Now, Rei, promising that she'll always love him as well, wears the ring on a chain around her neck. She refuses to take off her chain or wear that ring on her finger until Yaten comes back. She still hopes that he will return against all possiblities.

Serena noticed the change in Rei as she stared into her eyes. "He's probably a sex pig if he married Mina Spears. I mean, isn't she known to be a slut from the way she dresses? Don't be envious of her." Serena stood up to place her empty bowl in the sink.

"Not all rich people are bad, Serena. They do have a heart as well. You will learn soon." Rei sighed trying to suppress her emotions and memories and followed Serena.

"And not all men are sex pigs. They do think about it, but still, you can tell when they love you and not lust after you." Amy defended Rei and turned off the TV.

"Amy, stop supporting Rei. I'm just saying that that Shields person is not worth anything. Sure, he is a multi-billionaire, but so what? I certainly don't wish to be anywhere near him ever. Just looking at him gives me the chills down my spine because he oozes his sexuality." Serena leaned on the kitchen counter, "If there is a person to be jealous of, then I would say you. I'm envious of your ability and your rashes because they have made you successful, Amy."

"Success isn't everything. Sometimes, I too wish I were able to date like normal girls. You're the only one who thinks that the rashes are great, and that's because you don't know how it feels to be me." Amy saw Serena apologizing face and grinned. "Don't feel bad. I'm positive that there is a guy for me who will get past my rashes."

"Be prepared, Serena. You'll be _colder_ than you have been ever in your life." Rei smiled and gave Serena a big bear hug.

"Oh dear! We have to be get to class in thirty minutes, Rei." Amy gasped and ran to get ready for class. When both Rei and Amy were ready for their nine o'clock class, Amy gave Serena a big hug before she left, and Rei held Serena's hands in hers for a while before she let go with a smile. After Serena closed their front door, she grinned and felt loved once more without any second thoughts.

After cleaning the apartment a little and getting ready for school, she knocked on Seiya's door to walk to their class together. "Hi!" She grinned as he stepped out with his books. Seiya is the only person that Serena thought was cute, sweet, and smart. He was dressed in a navy green polo shirt with black pants and wore black thin-framed glasses.

"What's with everyone dressing up today?" He grinned as he eyed Serena's white dress with pink polka dots that came below her knee and silver colored sandals and said jokingly. "It looks cute on you. It seems as if you have caught many people's attention."

She grinned and accepted the compliment as they walked down the stairs to the sidewalk. "No way! They are probably looking at you, but thanks." Seiya always knew how to make her feel special. Seiya and Serena have known each other since first year of college and majored in the same field. Even though they were good friends, they never tried to be in a relationship. Both of them were comfortable with just how their friendship is.

Unknown to Serena and Seiya, Seiya was right; Serena had caught someone's attention. In a silver car parked along the sidewalk next to Serena's apartment, Iced Lotus, a deep masculine voice commanded his driver. "Go in now before she comes back and take all her personal materials. I'll follow her."

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"So why were Amy and Rei dressed up?" Seiya asked casually as he sat next to her in class and took notes from the board. 

Serena finished writing before she replied, "What are you talking about? Rei and Amy looked the same to me." She packed up all her materials in her bag. "Well, I don't know. I didn't notice it. Amy gave me a big hug and Rei just held my hands and looked at me straight in the eyes."

"Amy hugs? I thought she hated hugging because she gets rashes." Seiya pouted and tried to appear indifferent. "When she hugs you, she doesn't get rashes, but when she trips on me, she gets the urge to itch."

"One, I'm not a guy." Serena stated. "Two, she doesn't always hug me. And three, what's with all these questions about Amy today?" She searched his face for some clue and gasped "You like her! Admit it! You like her, don't you?" She grinned and walked backwards in the hallway facing him.

"You're going to trip." Seiya tried to change the topic but didn't succeed. "I don't know. She just looked cute today." His face began to turn red. "I mean, she's cute everyday, but today, she was cuter." He smiled as he remembered how she looked in her baby blue skirt and white shirt with blue flip-flops.

"Someone's in love." Serena squealed and popped her right leg back in joy. Serena stiffened as she ended up with her back against someone's chest and her right leg between theirs. She could have sworn she heard a slight moan from the person behind her. Slowly, she turned to face her stranger. A dark haired man with piercing deep blue eyes stared at her, and his pink lips thinned as he looked at Seiya and her. He wore a lab coat over a collared button-down crimson red shirt with black pants. _Oh my God! It's a professor!_ She was afraid and quickly apologized "I'm so sorry, Professor. Please, forgive me." The professor gave her a look as if she was insane and walked away.

"Serena, he didn't look like a professor." Seiya chuckled at her innocence.

"What? But he was wearing a lab coat!" She rebutted his remark. "Isn't he a science teacher? I mean, there are a lot of teachers we don't know about."

"Right, but why would a science professor come to the humanities department?" Seiya questioned once more daring her to defend herself.

"Maybe, to talk to his friend? I don't know." She shrugged that she couldn't give a better reply. "But who cares? He already left. Back to Amy. If you like her, tell her. Get her to accept you." She grinned once again and walked beside him.

"You're not going to play matchmaker, are you?" Seiya questioned her nervously. He knew that once Serena made up her mind, she rarely changes it back. The last thing he wanted was her to be pushing him in Amy's way or her pushing Amy in his way -- of course, he really wouldn't mind it if she came by his way, but she'll get rashes so not good.

"Oh please!" She laughed. "I have enough on my hands. I don't need to get into matchmaking business." She saw Seiya relaxing and giggled. "Well, I have to be at work in a half hour. I'll be working for eight hours until 10:30 today since today is Friday. So, I'll talk to you later." She waved and walked the opposite way to her part-time job at Crushed Roses, a bakery.

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"Hi Lita!" Serena grinned as she rushed behind the store counter and placed her books and purse in one of the small cabinets. Lita and Serena have been friends since they met three years ago in this store. Serena has worked here since her first year in college. After she met Lita and Ms. Maya, her boss, she never wanted to stop working here because she loved the atmosphere and the free food. Of course, there was a limit to free food, but it still satisfied Serena. "It doesn't seem to be that busy today." Serena stated as she tied her deep red apron around her. 

"It was busy at lunch time, but there are still people here." Lita said as she refilled the display. "You can eat this piece of cake if you want. I have another cake to place in the showcase." Lita pulled out a slice of cake from the refrigerated display that was visible to all the customers.

"Awesome! Cake for lunch! I love my job!" She squealed and sat by the counter eating her cake as she watched Lita work. Lita has a passion for cooking and wishes to own a bakery and a day care. She loves both kids and cooking, but she couldn't choose between them. Instead of making a decision on one, she changed her attitude and aimed to own both. "Why choose between them when I can do both? Sure, it's a little far-fetched, but hey, it's not impossible." Serena smiled as she remembered Lita's answer to her question three years ago. To her, Lita was an extremely strong and dedicated person kind of like Amy. _One day, I'll be as strong as they are and live in a big house with my family happily and successfully._

Interrupting Serena's thoughts, a doorbell jingled as a new customer walked in. "I'll get it." Serena called out to Lita and went to greet the new customer. "Hi, welcome to Crushed Roses. How many I help you?" She smiled softly and waited for their reply. _Hmm... Why does everyone have a tan these days?_ Serena wandered her eyes over his soft ebony hair and felt a big urge to stroke his hair away from his sapphire eyes. She could see his hard toned chest beneath a plain white t-shirt and noted his long legs in navy blue workout pants as he towered over her by a foot or more. _Wow, he's cute._ She sighed and controlled her attraction towards him. _Cute looks but baaad personality. _Her theory on men was that men with good looks never have good personality so therefore, women should go after average or ugly men for their average or good personalities.

"I was wondering if I could buy a piece of cake. Sorry, I'm new here and decided to stop by this store because of it's interesting name." He gave her a boyish grin and rubbed his head in embarrassment. His voice was deep and very masculine to the point where it scared Serena to be around him.

_Control yourself. Control yourself. Control yourself._ She repeated this in her head as if it was a mantra and gulped. "That's okay. I know what you mean about the name. That name was the reason I stepped into this store for a job. Well, that and all these sweet goodies. I'll help you select a cake." She grinned as she led him to the cake display. Lita was nowhere in site making Serena even more nervous. "Select any cake your like. We have every kind from strawberry shortcake to cheesecake to chocolate fudge. If you like something we do not have here, you can order it from a catalog, and we'll have it here in a week or so." She smiled softly once again. As he leaned down to look all the various choices, Serena glanced at her cake and dreamt of tasting the sweet strawberry kiwi fruitcake.

"Nothing seems to jump out at me." He sighed and glanced around until a certain fruitcake caught his eye. "How about this one? Strawberry kiwi fruitcake? Can I buy this?" He held up her piece of cake and took a small bite from it. "It's delicious."

Afraid and confused, she didn't know what to do. She didn't want to lose the customer, but then again, she didn't want to lose her fruitcake. She only took one bite before she greeted this gorgeous man. "Um...we don't have that fruitcake on stock, but if you like, we'll gladly order it for you." She said as she attempted to save her fruitcake from him.

"No, this little piece fine for me." He grinned oblivious to her weak rescue attempt. "How much is it?" He went back to the cashier and pulled out his wallet.

"Three dollars and fifty cents." She stated as she packed him her fruitcake and gave him the change. "Thank you. Have a sweet day!" She grinned and waved as he chuckled at her adorable face. _Please, don't ever come again._ She glared at his retreating figure.

Lita came by her side and said, "Sorry, I wasn't there to help you. Ms. Maya called and said that she won't be coming this evening so she wanted me to close tonight." She offered her a bigger chocolate fudge cake piece, which Serena gladly accepted.

"I love you." She hugged Lita before she dug into her cake making sure she hid it before greeting any customers.

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"Lita, I finished cleaning and sweeping all the tables and floors." Serena placed the broom and the mop inside the broom closet. 

"And I finished washing and drying all the dishes and placed them on the shelves." Lita claimed proudly as she wiped her hands. "Looks like we're ready to go home now. Wow, can't believe it's already ten thirty. It has been a busy day. Be careful on your way home." Lita clocked out after Serena and locked the door.

"Don't worry. My apartment is only five blocks away." Serena smiled. After exchanging their farewells, they separated and went opposite directions to home.

As much as Serena hated to admit it, she was really afraid of the night, but that didn't stop her from working late. She usually gets home around seven, but on Fridays, she stays until ten. She held breath and listened cautiously to every sound around her. She could hear cat screeching, TV running, babies crying, adults fighting, and garbage flying. She saw an alleyway ahead and shivered. She hated alleyways at night. God knows who's there doing what. She glanced quickly inside the alleyway and walked faster that it almost looked as if she was jogging. Before she could cross the alleyway, a big hand clamped her mouth and an arm wrapped around her waist pulling her inside the dark alley.

She tried her best to scream and struggled to get away from his grip. She couldn't breathe. She wanted to run away. Run until she was in her bed safe. She tried her best to hit him with her purse and books but failed. "If you stopped trying to hit me, I won't hurt you." He whispered in her ear as he tightened his grip on her. She felt his breath on her neck and ear and shivered. She dropped her arms as she waited for him to loosen his grip on her. He moved his hand from her mouth and captured both of her hands in his.

"Let me go." She tried to yell, but it came out as a soft whisper. She cleared her throat and tried again. "What do you want with me? It's illegal to rape people." To her, it was illegal to rape others. "Please let me go." She begged as she felt tears sliding down her cheeks and him nuzzling her neck.

A chill went down her spine at the sensation of his chest vibrating as he chuckled and of his lips forming into a smile against her skin. "It's not illegal for a man to want his wife back now, is it sweetheart?" He nipped at her earlobe sending more chills down her spine. Before she had the chance to realize what he had just said, he covered her mouth with cloth, and her body went limp in his arms. "You can't escape me."

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So, how was it? Much better than the prologue? Much longer? Please review. I really want to improve my stories. Tell me what you wish to see in this story or insult me. Anything! Well, I won't be updating until next week. Hope you like it so far. Bye for now! 

- Izuno


	3. Chapter 2

First of all, thank you so much for all of your reviews.I have once again written a long chapter. I hope you enjoy this chapter as much as you have before or even more than the others. One thing that kept me hesitating was the romance scenein this chapter. No, I'm not kidding. There are romantic scenes between Serena and Darien in here, but I don't know if it should berated R or high T.

I mean, if you've seen shows on TV like Sex and the City or Grey's Anatomy, then I think you should be okay with reading this. The rating for both of those shows are 14 and up. I don't want to tell you what the chapter is about because I'm afraid I might ruin it for you. Please tell me if I should change the rating. Right now, I'm saying T, and tell me if I chose the correct rating or not. If it's not correct, I will change it.

Also, tell me if you liked how the romance was. If you want romance like this, then sure I'll write it. I wasn't exactly planning on it for the next chapter, but I'm writing this story for my readers. I'll write what you tell me to. I'm sorry, but I refuse to write actual intercourse scenes. So, tell me how you want the romance to be.

Once again, thanks for awesome reviews! All of my reviewers brought a smile on my face! I'm not lying. I love reading people's reviews. So, please read and review!

Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon or any of its characters.

On with the story!

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Previously on COL: 

_"Let me go." She tried to yell, but it came out as a soft whisper. She cleared her throat and tried again. "What do you want with me? It's illegal to rape people." To her, it was illegal to rape others. "Please let me go." She begged as she felt tears sliding down her cheeks and him nuzzling her neck._

_A chill went down her spine at the sensation of his chest vibrating as he chuckled and of his lips forming into a smile against her skin. "It's not illegal for a man to want his wife back now, is it sweetheart?" He nipped at her earlobe sending more chills down her spine. Before she had the chance to realize what he had just said, he covered her mouth with cloth, and her body went limp in his arms. "You can't escape me."_

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Title: Colors of Life  
Chapter 2  
Rating: T, M 

Color: Red- The color of anger and of desire

_It was dark. Everywhere she turned was dark. She was surrounded by darkness. And it was cold. Very cold as if she was caught in the middle of a blizzard. Her hair on her skin stood up as she ran looking for warmth...for light in this complete darkness. Her lungs froze and hurt her chest as she ran. She was scared. She hated the dark. She didn't know what to do. She wanted to escape. She wanted to call out to someone for help, but who? No one was there. No living thing existed. She couldn't see anything and fell on what seemed and felt like snow. She was thirsty. She was scared. She wanted to cry. She craved for comfort from anyone...from anything. She turned on her stomach, hugged the snow beneath her, closed her eyes, and cried. Suddenly, the ground beneath her shook. Or maybe, she was dizzy. She didn't know, but stopped crying. It shook again and called out her name. "Serena." She opened her eyes and looked up to see who was calling her name. _

She came across deepest blue eyes she had ever seen staring back at her concerned. His tanned face was full of worry with his eyebrows furrowed, his eyes sharp, and his pink lips firm and frowning. She smiled softly and cried out of happiness. _Someone was here for me. Someone was always here for me._ She hugged his bare chest, snuggled closer to him, and cried. She didn't know who he was, but right now, she didn't care. She just wanted someone to be with her. She closed her eyes and hugged him even tighter.

He kissed her hair, stroked her upper right arm and her back, and whispered, "It's okay. You're safe. I'm here. It was only a bad nightmare." He kept repeating those four lines to calm her down. Once he felt her loosen her grip on him, he tilted his head to see her face and asked "Mina, are you okay?"

Her body stiffened, and she opened her eyes to look up at him. She was lying on top of this half-naked man, and her hair spread around both of their faces as if it was a curtain. She stared at him with her eyes wide open and asked, "What did you call me?" She didn't know if she was hearing things or something because she could have sworn he just called her Mina.

Before he could even finish saying her name, she screamed and jumped off him and off the bed. "Oh my God!" She regained her memory, pointed her finger at him, and stuttered. "Y-y-you kidnapped me! Stay away from me!" He was tired and annoyed of this situation and slowly got up from his side of the bed in shorts as she walked to the other side of the bed. "What do you want from me? Don't come any closer!" She glared.

When she realized she was wearing a pink, lacy, transparent sleeveless negligee, which came to her mid-thigh and showed plenty of her chest and legs, she squealed, grabbed the silky maroon bed sheets, and wrapped it around herself. She knew she didn't go to bed wearing this. The only thought that kept haunting her was that he had raped her, but she refused to admit it. "What did you do to me!" She glared as she backed away from him. She couldn't be here any longer. She had to get out of his room. She ran to the door tripping on her bed sheets, which fell from her grasp. She tried to open the big oak doors, but it wouldn't budge no matter how many times she pushed or pulled.

"You really think I would let you roam around this room without locking all exits?" She felt his hot breath on her skin and felt his chest behind her on her bare back. He quickly spun her around to face him and pinned her to the door. She was afraid to see his face but knew he was angry. "How dare you act as if you were so innocent and claim that I had kidnapped you when you belonged to me in the first place!" He growled as he spoke to her at her eye level. When she looked away from him, he forced her face back to him.

"I don't belong to anyone. Especially not to you!" She struggled to get away from his grip, but he pressed her to the wall even more. "Let me go! I have nothing to offer you. So what do you want from me!" She screamed in frustration of not being able to escape.

"What do I want from you? I want you to be my wife and to be a mother to my child! Is that too much to ask! After we had Elizabeth, I wouldn't have sex with you because I spent the nights next to Beth's crib. Due to the lack of sex, you ran away claiming that I no longer loved you." He unconsciously tightened his hold on her. "For the past two years, you have been running away from me. How do you think I felt whenever I found you, had sex with you until you were satisfied only to find out that you weren't there in the morning?"

She couldn't breathe from the lack of oxygen and from the proximity of his face, which was only an inch away from her face. "I don't know what you're talking about. I'm not your wife or Beth's moth-"

"Don't you dare you finish that sentence!" He slammed his fist into the door creating a small dent. She was scared that he might hurt her as he placed both of his hands on the side of her face. He made her look up at his face, as he stood straight giving her more room to breathe. "How could you be so heartless?" He asked her gently, "Fine, maybe, I was so caught up with work and our daughter that I didn't give you much attention, as a husband should to his wife. So you might be angry with me and claim that you're not my wife. But don't tell me you aren't the mother of my child. Beth is only two and a half years old. She needs to be loved like a daughter from a mother. A love that the maids can't offer her. She needs you." He lifted her up to his eye level, pushed her to the door slightly before he wrapped her legs around his waist.

Serena blushed as her inner thighs met his skin. She wanted to move her legs away, but he held her still and walked to his bed. "And I promise you that I will love you as a wife." He laid on top of her after he placed her on the bed. "Even if it means having sex with you everyday." He kissed her throat. "I won't mind. Hate me all you want, but don't leave our child alone. I don't want her to grow up without a mother like me." His hands slid up to the side of her breasts. "So what do you say, Mina Spears? Will you be a mother to my child, Elizabeth Shields?"

Mina Spear...her name sounded so familiar to her. Where had she heard that name before? Then, it hit her like a lighting bolt, and she remembered. She was Darien Shield's wife. The sex pig's wife. Oh God. She took his hands in hers before he actually touched her breasts and decided to go along with this for a while. Apparently, he wasn't going to take a No for an answer. Plus, she had no idea where she was. "Why didn't you tell me all of this sooner? You could have asked me this two years ago. Why ask me now?" She watched his head between her breasts and couldn't breathe once more as she felt his breath on her chest.

"You never gave me a chance. When I asked you what you wanted in return to be with Beth, you said sex. Hot mind-blowing sex. And I gave you just that until you were satisfied, but when I woke up in the morning, you were nowhere to be found. I mean, I do enjoy having sex with you. There's no doubt about that." He kissed her in between both of her rising breasts. He was seducing her, and she didn't like that. "But it made me mad when I had to offer you something in return for you to be Beth's mother. I was very furious and wished to kill you the next time I saw you, but this wasn't about me. This was about Beth and about how she needed you to give her motherly love. I've been chasing you for the past two years, but every time we met, you would run away. I had no choice but to drug you when I met you this time." He looked up at her face from her chest.

He seemed like a sincere father to Beth, but Serena...she's not Beth's mother. As much as she loves kids and wishes to love Beth as her own, she couldn't offer Mira motherly love. She sighed and wished to change Darien's mind. "But Darien...I can't offer the same type of love a mother can to Beth. Do you really think that I can be a good mother? Come on! I've lied to you and cheated you. What makes you think that I won't do that again? Or I won'thurt Beth? Do you honestly believe I can be a good mother?" She hoped to knock some sense into Darien.

"To be honest, I have no idea, but you are her mother. If you can't do it, then no one can.Believe me. You're not going to escape me. I won't let you run away this time. I'll give you whatever you want as long as it doesn't ruin my family's name. What I don't understand is why you resist being Beth's mother. What is it? Did I not satisfy you enough? Or were your precious strawberry kiwi fruitcake and your screw boy more important than Elizabeth and me?" He had his hands beside her and towered over her.

What is he talking about? "What are you talking about? Screw boy?" She asked confused. She didn't screw anyone in her life! It really made her mad that he is claiming that she had slept with someone.

"Oh, what's his name? Seiya? I saw how you were giggling and standing very close to him on the sidewalk and in college." He was getting jealous and mad just thinking about him.

"Seiya! How do you know about him? And no, I didn't sleep with him! I haven't slept with anyone! He's my friend!" She screamed as she pushed him off her to the other side of the bed.

"Yeah, friends with benefits." He spat as he rolled eyes. Did she really think he would believe that she didn't have sex with anyone when sex is her "favorite hobby" in whole world?

"No! Friends! Best friends! He's in love with Amy, who's also my best friend!" She sat up and glared at him lying on the bed as arrogant and sexy as ever with his head on his elbow. How did he know about her favorite fruitcake? Or about Seiya? Then, everything clicked. "That was you! The professor and the customer who stole my fruitcake were both you!" She declared as she sat on the bed beside him.

"You just realized that now? I thought it was very obvious to you that it was me." He grinned. "You haven't changed one bit. Slow as ever."

She was growling as listened to him. How dare he! Unable to hold her anger, she screamed, climbed on top of him, and punched his chest. "How dare you? You arrogant, selfish, idiotic jerk! Do you know how hungry I was that day! You just had to choose that cake, didn't you?"

Before she could continue with her ranting, he grinned at her. "Nice view." He claimed hoping to stop her from puncturing his hard chest. She then noticed that he was watching her breasts, which were fully on display. Blushing, she climbed off him and searched for the abandoned bed sheet to wrap around herself. Before she could leave the bed, he had rolled her on her back and laid on top of her again. "Assuming that I do believe your lies, I'm sure you're craving for sex now. So, how about it? I'm certainly in the mood for it." He grinned as he kissed the sensitive area below her ear and purred making her shiver at his touch.

"You pervert! Get away from me!" She pushed him away from her and ran to the bathroom. He was irritating her, and she couldn't hold her temper around him. She always had a hard time holding her anger when it came to arrogant men. He believes every girl in the universe wants him. He especially believes that she wants him. Of course, that does make sense considering that she is his "wife," but she wasn't attracted to him. Was she? No way! Never! It's wrong! "The only thing I'm in the mood for is taking a shower." She slammed and locked the door.

"I'll come join you. After all, that is how you like your baths." He unlocked the door easily and opened the door to see her spitting water after brushing her teeth. He got the shower ready as she searched for some clothes and a towel. "Here, wear this. Your clothes will be ready for you in another room." He handed her a robe, jumped into the shower with the water running, and pulled her inside as she was placing the robe and the towel next to the shower.

"Hey! What are you doing!" She fell on his chest and felt warm water on her back. In just a few seconds, their clothes stuck to them like a second layer of skin. "Get out! I'm not taking a shower with you! Out!" She pointed to the door and tried to push him, but he wouldn't budge.

"Why won't you allow me to do this?" He looked at her as his hair stuck to his forehead and over his eyes. "First, you won't allow me to have sex with you. Now, you won't allow us to take showers together. We always took baths together before we had Elizabeth. I'm trying to be the loving husband I used to be, but now, you're pushing me away." He rubbed her upper arms.

"Uh...well, it's just that a lot has happened, and I want some time alone." She was hoping he would understand. It was the truth. She didn't lie. She wanted some time to think. If she was going to agree to be Beth's mother, would she have to be his wife as well? If she was his wife, wouldn't that mean she would have to have sex with him? She was confused.

"All right, I understand. Actually, I already took a shower. I just came in here for you." He smiled and removed her hair from her face. "I'll leave. Just give me one kiss." With that, he lifted her up, pushed her against the wet cold wall, wrapped her legs around his waist, and kissed her.

It was a gentle kiss as he sucked on her upper lip. Serena was dazed. This was Serena's first kiss, and she didn't know what to do. Yes, that's right. The twenty-one year old blonde-haired woman had never kissed anyone in her life. She never really liked men enough to kiss them. To her, boyfriends and romance was suppose to be special so she never dated or kissed anyone. She had kissed her elders and small children on the cheek, but that's all. His lips were soft against hers and tasted like strawberry kiwi. She stiffened and gasped when his tongue licked her lips asking for an entrance as she held onto him by the shoulders. This was enough for Darien to enter and explored her mouth. He moaned as he deepened the kiss. "Kiss me back, Mina." He moved back a hair's width and jumped back into the kiss.

Darien was in heaven. He always liked to kiss Mina, but this time, she was fresh. She tasted like peppermint but better, and he couldn't stop himself. Had he really missed her that much? He was getting addicted to her taste and wanted more. Why wasn't she kissing him back? She always took the initiative to deepen the kiss. He moaned even more when her tongue moved shyly with his. Due to the lack of breath, they broke apart. He laid his head on her shoulder as he tried to control himself.

Serena moved her head to the side and closed her eyes. Oh God, what had she done? She just kissed someone back! She just kissed a **married man **back! Wrong! Wrong! Wrong! Very wrong! She didn't want to be with him alone for any second longer. Her lips were swollen and tingled from his touch. His hands were still on her waist, and he was breathing down on her skin from her shoulder. Being in close contact with him didn't help Serena trying to calm herself down. He really was a good seducer, and even though it is tempting to play the role of his wife, she had to remember that he is already married to the real Mina. He wasn't hers to take. He is already taken.

"I'll leave you alone now. I'll be waiting for you downstairs." With that, he left and closed the door behind him. Darien, outside the bathroom, licked his lips to remove the remaining taste of Serena. _Her kiss was different. It was sweeter. It was shy yet highly arousing. _More than anything in the world, he wanted to get back inside the bathroom and kiss the living daylights out of her. _God, she's addictive._

He then remembered her smell and her hair color. Her smell was earthy. The Mina he knew smelled flowery. He had noticed the difference in her smell when his head was on top of her chest, but he wasn't sure of this difference until he was in the shower with her. The color of hair also changed from yellow blonde to golden. Plus, was it just him or was her hair thicker? What else had changed about Mina during the past two years?

He was curious to find out why she had changed. He noticed her pink polka dotted white dress yesterday and couldn't help but admire her beauty as he laid her on his bed before changing her into her negligee. Mina always dressed flashy craving for attention, but this dress attracted attention in a good way. With all her hair down, she looked like a dropped angel from the heavens, but he knew that Mina was no angel considering all the dirty deeds she did. She was cute and looked like a sleeping doll. To remember that moment, he had taken a picture of her sleeping on his bed peacefully with her dress. Maybe, he shouldn't ask her why she had changed. So far, it appears to be a positive change so why bother her about her transformation. He reasoned that it was best to just go with the flow and take on whatever that came his way.

Serena had removed her clothes and leaned against the wall. What has she gotten herself into? This was wrong! She slid to the floor and curled into a ball with her head on her knees. She could still feel his touch on her arms, back, waist, thigh, face, neck, and... chest. In just a couple of hours, he had ignited the fire in her in many places. What was going to happen if she were to live with him? She could just imagine him kissing her everywhere and making love to her. No! She shouldn't think about how sex would be like with him! But she had no doubt in her mind that he would want to have sex with her. Not because she thought she was irresistible, but because that's what Mina used to want him to do. She didn't want to be "The Other Girl." She wasn't going to be a mistress, but he won't let her get away. He's not letting her go. She didn't even know where she was or how she got here wearing a trashy negligee.

What was she going to do? She groaned and hit her back of the head against the wall repeatedly. Here was everything she had wanted in her life to be happy:

1. A loving husband and a caring father.

2.A big family hopefully with a little boy and a little girl.

3. A big house.

4. A wealthy style of living.

God, everything she had dreamed of and much more was right in front of her, but was it hers to take? This all belonged to Mina, but she left. So, does that mean she can just come in and take advantage of Mina's leftovers? Even though she wished to accept the situation in front of her, everything around her felt wrong. She didn't belong here. This is where Darien and Mina live...not her. A part of her wished Darien loved her for her not for Mina, but she immediately crushed down thatridiculous thought. There is no way she will allow herself to be related in an affair. She would not allow it ever. BUT! Mina wasn't here. She ran away. Darien won't let Serena get go away. Elizabeth needs a proper mother. BUT! Serena was only a twenty one year old college student. Would she know how to be a mother? She could try. She loved kids, and they loved her.

_What about college and Rei and Amy and Seiya and work? _Can she forget about all of them? College...how she missed those simple yet stressful days. She wished to be with Rei, Amy and all of her friends again. She couldn't ruin all her hard work throughout her whole life because of this, could she? _Well, at least now, I don't have to worry about college fees anymore. _With that, she opened her eyes as she thought of a plan. What if she asked Darien for a tiny favor to let her finish her degree in return to be his "wife?" Well, she still had a problem. How will she avoid having sex with him? There was no way she can be in the same bed as him without doing anything intimate because not only was he perverted but she was attracted to him. _I'll be a nanny!_

She will be Darien's wife without any body contact and still be Elizabeth's mother. Plus, she can have Darien pay for her degree as a tiny favor and not worry about any college fees. _Perfect!_ Excited, she finished her shower in a hurry to see Darien to compromise with him. She wrapped herself with the towel and dried herself. When she noticed that the robe he gave her showed more skin than the towel, she opened the door in her towel to find clothes that weren't revealing.

She stared wide eyed at the sexy man lying on the bed in a navy blue buttoned-down shirt tucked in khaki pants. He had his sleeves rolled up which intensified his muscles and the top two buttons open showing off his tan chest. He grinned at her. "You look like a deer caught under headlights."

She could feel the desire to kiss him again, to stroke his silky dark hair away from the most beautiful eyes she had ever seen. She was attracted to him. Very strongly, and it scared her to death. "What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be downstairs?" She asked trying to get him out of the room.

"I was, but I was starting to wonder what happened to you since it's been in a hour." He gazed down her body making her blush even more. _So, Mina could blush even we're not having sex after all. _"Come here." He chuckled. She didn't move. She was too afraid of what he would do to her. "Come here. I won't bite." He grinned like a devil and sighed when she showed no sign of moving. Walking up to her, he picked her up bridal style before she could close the door on him.

"Why are you hiding your body from me?" He tucked her under the covers before he slipped in. "Are you trying to tempt me?" He asked huskily as he tugged the towel. She sat up to get off the bed while covering her body with the bed sheet just in case he removed the towel, and just like she had anticipated, the towel became loose and fell to her thighs. Her back was completely exposed to him, and her face turned very red. Can the earth just swallow her now? She couldn't handle this much embarrassment.

"Uh...I-I-I need to talk to you about something." She cleared her throat and tried to calm herself down, but Darien had other plans in his mind as he traced her spinal cord slowly with his index finger up and down.

"You were saying." He grinned innocently, but Serena knew that he was doing this to her on purpose. He was _really_ good at seducing others. Darien was enjoying himself as he noticed how flustered his wife became at this touch. He was starting to like the change in her. Before, he was worried if Mina even felt anything whenever he touched her, and now, it was obvious. He saw how she closed her eyes tightly, how she gripped the bed sheets as if her life depended on it, and how her body shivered as he continued to stroke her smooth skin. He didn't dare question how she changed like this. He was too busy enjoying himself with her.

"Um..." she took a deep breath before continuing, "I have a favor to ask you. You see--AHH!" She found herself on her back with Darien towering over her.

"I was wondering when you were going to ask." He grinned before he swooped down to kiss her. She tried to push him away, but he took her hands from his chest and wrapped it around his neck as he hugged her with the covers. She tried to tell him to stop, but he inserted his tongue and deepened the kiss.

Darien couldn't control himself. Ever since he kissed her in the shower, he couldn't get her taste off his head. Even when he ate his breakfast, he still couldn't focus on anything but her. He tried to pay attention to Elizabeth who had just woken up. He had given her a kiss on the cheek before she had to take a bath. Hearing the word 'bath' reminded him of the kiss in the shower. He was irritated at himself for not being able to focus and reasoned that the only way to get her out off his system was to kiss her again. So, he waited till she came out, but never expected her to be in her towel, making her more tempting than usual.

Serena had her hands on the sides of his face, but she didn't know if she was pushing him away or helping him kiss her. Her plan was ruined before it even began. She tried to get in control of the situation, but he wasn't allowing her attention stray away from him. She moaned and tried to kiss him with the same intensity as him. He tasted so sweet like honey. She chuckled as she realized what he had for breakfast: Waffles with honey. Groaning, Darien pulled away from the kiss a little to take off his shirt.

As he struggled to focus on his shirt, Serena realized what she doing. They were about to have sex. "Darien, I need tell you something." Her heart was racing as he trailed butterfly kisses down her throat. Before he reached her chest, she quickly stated, "Darien, I can't have sex with you any more!" The statement startled him and made him look up.

"What?" He asked huskily as she stared at his flushed face and his eyes dark with desire. "What do you mean? No more sex?" He couldn't believe what he was hearing. Did his wife just say she didn't want to have sex with him? "Then who?" Did she find him unsatisfying? It hurt his pride a little that his own wife doesn't want to sleep with him.

"Could I please wear some clothes to have at least some sort of dignity?" She was panting still. Darien rolled to the side, took off his chest, and wrapped it around her, which she gladly buttoned up. "I'm not sleeping with anyone. If I need to be a proper mom, I can't have thoughts of you disturbing me." His shirt smelled exactly like him, very masculine, and she wrapped his shirt tighter around herself. _There is nothing wrong crushing on someone. When crushing becomes actions, then it's wrong. _She smiled as she inhaled his smell making her all warm on the inside. She looked at him and saw a goofy grin on his face.

Darien didn't notice her getting cozy. He was in his own world. Yes, she didn't resist him. Well, technically, she did, but not because she didn't want him. She didn't want thoughts of him to interfere with her life. Yes, of course. After all, he was the man of every woman's dreams. _She still wants me! _This healed his wounded pride quickly. "So, what do you suggest we do?" He spoke as if it was business.

"Well, from now on, no more body contact like kissing or having sex." She stated as she watched his eyes widen. "No more meaning no intimate contact in this household. Okay? I think it's obvious that we can't control ourselves." She blushed remembering everything that has happened so far today.

"But we never tried to hold back from each other. Why now?" He was sad. He had just found his wife who was finally willing to be a mother to Elizabeth,but before he could get _really_ intimate like he planned, she is pushing him away.

"For Elizabeth. I need to be a good mother, and I can't be thinking about getting intimate with you whenever I'm with her. I want to give her all of my attention." She state trying to sound like a good wife. Darien understood her considering how he "ignored" Elizabeth in the morning. "Do we have a deal?" She stuck her hand out

"Deal." He shook her hand and gave her a quick peck on her lips one last time. God knows how long he had to remain celibate. _The things I sacrifice for my daughter._ He sighed before leaving the bed. A part of him was glad that Mina was finally taking responsibility as a mother so he didn't say anything. He reasoned that it must be hard for her as it for him because sex was one of her favorite things to do.

"Oh! One more thing." Serena called out to him and grinned as he stood next to the door. Serena was getting used to seeing this man shirtless around her, and she was cheerful that half of her plan worked perfectly. He turned to find her leaning on the bed set. She looked really innocent and cute as he saw her wearing his shirt that came a little bit above her knee. "I would like to go to college to get my degree on engineering."

He sighed and walked over to her. "I'm sorry, Mina, but you're not leaving this property. I'm tired of chasing you.I won't allow you to go.Just focus on Elizabeth. I'll bring the money into this household." He kissed her forehead. "A maid will come in and help you get settled again." He left closing the door behind him.

_No more college? Is all my hard work is a waste? _She felt like she had just been sentenced to hell. She had been very dedicated to her work so that in the future, she wouldn't have to sit around like a housewife. Instead, she wished to work to stand on her own two feet. What she hated and feared the most had come true. A tear fell from her eyes as she looked down at the carpet as her hands clenched into a fist. She wanted to leave this place. Why should she sacrifice her life for him? He was nothing to her. If he can't compromise with her conditions, then too bad for him. There was no way she was going to allow him to ruin her future.

* * *

So,how was it? Too much romance? If you want, I can make the romance level lower. Please review. Also, I want you to answer these two questions when you review. 

1.Should the rating be higher to R? Or was it fine?

2. Do you want to read more romance like this? Or do you want me to bring it down a bit?

Please, answer those questions. I don't want to get in trouble, and I want to write what you want to read.So, please please review. You can write anything you want. (Hopefully, it'll relate to the story some how.) Thank you so much for taking the time to read. Bye for now!

- Izuno


	4. Chapter 3

First of all, I want to apologize for not updating sooner. My dog got really sick. I even thought he was about to pass away since he didn't eat anything for the past two days. But thank God he ate an inch of fish. Yay!

Second, I want to talk about to about the reviews. **I loved them!**

Thank you: moonqueen, serenity11287, koldy, Kana07, sereNendy, navz, Tsuki no Echo, Krysia, Serena-and-Darien-4ever, Silver moon starlight Angel, Endy's Girl, Hellsingfiore, and star4u.

Third, I want to answer some interesting questions I got.

1.) is this gonna be a fanfic where darien is too thick headed to realize that serena and mina are diff. pple until he sleeps with serena (bcs they are in the heat of the moment) and finds out she  
is a virgin?

Answer: No. I won't say anymore. You'll find your answer in this chapter. :)

2.) how can mina leave him?

Answer: You'll find your answer in this chapter. :)

3.) how can you ignore the basic human nature that dictates Serena try to convince him that he made a mistake?

Answer: She only accepted so that in return she can have him pay for college fees, but he didn't go by her conditions. So, she will rebel.

4.) why does Darien think that Serena is Mina, is it just that she looks like Mina? Hopefully when I start to write and post my story you'll read it and think the same!

Answer: Yes, and I would love to read your stories.

Oh, I did mention the rating as a T and M for the last chapter. This chapter is also rated T, but it doesn't have any steamy romance scenes. Sorry to those I've disappointed. I have this chapter for T because it does talk about a certain topic that children shouldn't know about. If you have had health class, then you should be fine. If you disagree with me and want to change the rating, I will do so. :)

Disclaimer: No Sailor Moon for me! But is COL is all me!

* * *

Previously on COL: 

_He sighed and walked over to her. "I'm sorry, Mina, but you're not leaving this property. I'm tired of chasing you.I won't allow you to go.Just focus on Elizabeth. I'll bring the money into this household." He kissed her forehead. "A maid will come in and help you get settled again." He left closing the door behind him._

_No more college? Is all my hard work is a waste? She felt like she had just been sentenced to hell. She had been very dedicated to her work so that in the future, she wouldn't have to sit around like a housewife. Instead, she wished to work to stand on her own two feet. What she hated and feared the most had come true. A tear fell from her eyes as she looked down at the carpet as her hands clenched into a fist. She wanted to leave this place. Why should she sacrifice her life for him? He was nothing to her. If he can't compromise with her conditions, then too bad for him. There was no way she was going to allow him to ruin her future._

* * *

Title: Colors of Life  
Chapter 3  
Rating: T 

Color: Black- the color of betrayal and of nightmares.

"Madam!" The maid dropped her tray of breakfast as she saw Serena jump out the window. Running to the window to help Serena, she noticed the bed sheet tied to the window as Serena slowly jumped down the wall.

"Don't yell!" Serena shushed her before returning to her job at hand. She had to escape no matter what. Her future career depended on it. She can't be with Darien any longer. The bed sheet came a meter or two above the ground, but she was willing to take a fall. She was still wearing Darien's navy blue shirt, but wore his shorts before jumping down.

"Sir! Madam is trying to run away again. She's climbing down the wall from her window." The maid had called Darien's emergency number and explained the situation.

Darien was angry. No, beyond angry. He had just finished dressing himself up ready to get to work, but Mina once again had to have his attention. They had made a deal to work this out, and he had thought that Mina had changed. What a fool he was! He wasn't going to let Mina out of his sight ever from now on. He quickly called his guards to surround her area as he ran around the house to find her on the wall like Spiderman.

"Mina, what are you doing?" He called out to her as he stood below her. Even though the situation did appear funny, he was too angry and annoyed with her to laugh.

"Go away! I hate you! Get lost and leave me alone!" Serena yelled down as she stood on the wall. Crap, her plan failed again. Maybe, she could stay in mid-air long enough until they leave.

"Get down here before you hurt yourself. We'll talk about this afterwards." Darien tried to reason with her.

"I don't want to talk about it! You are trying to ruin my life! My future!" Serena could feel tears pricking her eyes. She wasn't going to let him see her tears. She will never let anyone see her cry. She tried to blink her tears away and felt herself slipping.

"Mina, what are you talking about? Your future is with me!" Darien sighed. Why does this happen every time? First, she ran away claiming to go shopping. Then, she dressed up as a maid going to the market to get groceries for the cook. Afterwards, she hid in the garbage to get out. Now, this. When will it end? Is it that hard for her to stay?

"Don't you dare say that! My future--" Before she could finish, she fell from the wall. She didn't notice the bed sheet rip with her weight and with the pull of gravity. Of course, how could she have thought that she could have defied the laws of physics? She screamed and closed her eyes in an impulse ready to feel the impact but felt two strong arms catch her in time. She still had her eyes closed trying to collect her breath. The bed sheet landed softly on the grass.

"You were saying?" Darien asked his wife in his arms. The guards, knowing everyone was safe and within the property, left so their boss could have his private time with his wife. In an instant, she opened her eyes to see his smug face before she fought to get out of his arms. "My, aren't we courageous today? Jumping out from your window. That's definitely new." He let her down.

"Get away from me! I want to go back to my college! I don't belong here!" She distanced herself from him. "I have friends and a future back in college. This is not my place."

"Mina, I am sick of this!" He grabbed her by her shoulders and shook her. "How could talk as if you don't have anything with me? When are you going to take responsibility for yourself and for Elizabeth! How long are you going to keep doing this?"

She shoved him away. "Are you so stupid or so blind to see that I am NOT your wife!" She frowned at him. "For a husband who claims to love his wife, you sure can't tell the difference between me and her! And as a chairman of Shields Corps., you really are dim-witted! God, if you're the one leading the nation into a new generation of technology, I wonder what the hell is going to happen to the country!"

Not only did she insult his love for her, but also his leadership abilities. He was getting irritated with his wife. "What the hell are you talking about?" He massaged the stem of his nose near his tired eyes to release some tension.

"I am not Mina Spears. My name is Serena Lionheart. I am twenty-one-year-old girl trying to get an engineering degree at University of California- Berkeley. I am in my senior year, and I need my degree to get a job. So, please. Let me go." She begged him.

"Mina." he sighed, "How long are you going to keep pretending that everything you just said is real?"

"Pretend?" She was shocked, "I'm not! Everything I just told you is real! That IS my life! Why won't you believe me?"

"Don't you think I already know that stuff? I saw your fake school id. I know all there is to know about your made-up reality. I don't what happened to you when you were away, but I'm not going to let you go. You can't escape me, Mina. So, will you stop trying?" He rubbed her upper arms once more and hugged her as he noticed tears in her eyes. Her whole body shook as she cried into his white shirt. He just held her there against his chest before he noticed that her body went limp. He pulled away and looked at her face to see her sleeping. She had cried herself to sleep. He sighed once more and carried her to their bed. "Hopefully, you'll be back to yourself when you wake up." He kissed her forehead before tucking her in and leaving the room.

Her head was throbbing when she woke up. She was tired both physically and mentally. She noticed her environment and groaned once more when she realized she was back in that damned room. She saw a maid knitting by her side. As soon as the maid noted that Serena was awake, she stood up and greeted her. "Hello, Madam. My name is Emily, and I will be your personal maid." She bowed. "Would you like something to drink? Water? Coffee?"

"Water." Serena answered in a raspy voice. Drinking water gave her some energy, but with her headache, she didn't want to do anything. She had lost to him once more. Nothing mattered to her anymore. No one believed anything she says. Everyone probably thought she was crazy. Her life was a nightmare, and she couldn't wake up.

"Madam, I have placed all your clothes in your bathroom closet. Mr. Shields told me that these belonged to you when you were...away." She didn't know how else to put it. This woke Serena up a little more.

"You mean when I was in college? How did he get it? Can you show me where everything is?" She asked as she got up from her bed with a new bed sheet. She wanted to know what he had. Emily nodded and led Serena to a different room five doors away. Serena hadn't noticed before, but this house was big. She estimated that just the floor she was on had about 14 to 16 rooms. She looked at high ceiling and the walls, which were filled with beautiful breath-taking landscape pictures. The sunlight did wonders to the rooms from the window. It was a little past six, and it seemed as if the sun was about to set in an hour or so.

"Here we are." Emily opened the door for Serena and stepped inside after her turning on the lights. Serena's eyes widened when she noticed all of her belongings in boxes. Her clothes, her hairpins, her books, her notes, her pictures...everything was here. She noticed some crushed boxes on the side. Probably the ones he had already seen. She sat on the ground and went through all of her things happily. She laughed as she read some of her notes that she had written to her friends recalling the memories. She opened her books to see all the pages intact. She felt as if she was back to her college years.

"I see you've found some materials." A deep voice came above her. She spun around to see Darien standing behind her as he loosened his tie. She didn't hear him come in or see Emily leaving. "It's not nice to go through people's stuff."

"These are all my stuff!" She crawled backwards away from him to surround herself with her belongings. "You saw all of this and you still don't believe that I am not Mina?"

"You would make up and lie about anything to get away. I was going to throw these away tomorrow." He went to his closet and changed into his nightshirt. She looked away as he changed his pants.

"No! Don't! Please, let me keep these things. The least you could do is to give me these as a memoir of my past." She hugged her books.

He watched her closely before answering her. "All right." He laid on his bed without taking his eyes off her. "You can come here and look at them any time you want."

"Will you do me a favor?" She didn't look at him. She stared into her book on her lap.

"I am not letting you go anywhere outside my property." He quickly retorted.

"Will you give me a blood test?" She looked up at him to see him shocked. "A blood test can prove to you that I am not your wife and can free me. It can answer both of our questions. So, how about it?" She looked at her book cover, a picture of blood cells.

"Have you eaten anything today?" He asked and she shook her head. "Go eat dinner, and I'll have a doctor ready. After the blood test, will you stop denying that you are not my wife if the blood test does prove that you are Mina Spears? You promise you will finally accept your duty as my wife and Elizabeth's mother if you are Mina?" He stood up to make a call as she nodded. Emily came inside and took Serena to the dining room.

She was so hungry. The food was delicious just like Lita's cooking. She happily dug into her plate at the thought of her blood test. Blood usually did scare her, but if it was the only way to prove she wasn't Mina, then she would gladly take it. Her dinner consisted of Caesar Salad, all sorts of juicy shrimp, and chocolate fudge cake. By the time she finished her dinner, Darien came by the dining room. "The doctor is ready for you."

He led her to the living room where the doctor had placed his materials on the table. "Don't I have to wait for two hours before the blood test?" She asked. A part of her didn't want a needle in her. She wanted to delay it a little until she was ready.

"Well, yes, but this is a random test so it's okay." The doctor smiled and shook her hand. "Ready?" He asked as she sat on the couch in front of him. She took a deep breath and nodded. He rubbed a cotton ball with cold alcohol on her skin before he drew her blood out in a syringe. Serena felt a little dizzy after seeing her blood in a vile but stayed focused.

Darien stood behind Mina watching her carefully. He knew Mina hated blood and would have fainted. Maybe, the girl before him wasn't Mina. "All done." The doctor closed the vile and looked around his bag for something. "It seems I have forgotten my label. Oh well. I'll label it as soon as I get to my office." He smiled before he collected his materials.

Serena stood next to Darien as the doctor shook hands with both of them before leaving. Serena felt weak and sick. She noticed Darien standing beside her and refused to show him her weakness. She walked a couple of steps only to faint in the middle of the hallway. He chuckled as he picked up his wife from the ground. "You still haven't changed, Mina." He was waiting for her to faint. He noticed her getting pale as she saw her blood in a vile. He was deciding whether to help her to her room, but she acted as if she didn't even acknowledge him so he did the same. He smiled at the thought of having her in his arms again. It made him feel as if he was dominant and a protector.

She smiled as she woke up in the morning. Today, she would finally be returning home. And she didn't wake up next to a half-naked man! The birds were singing, the sun was shining, and she loved every minute of it as she jumped into her shower. Excited, she wore her yellow sundress and tied her hair in a half-ponytail, which came to her mid-back. She ran into the dining room, ate five pancakes, and drank a glass of milk. Emily then led her to Darien's office to be released from this hell. She asked Darien's permission before letting Serena in.

"Did you get my results yet?" She rushed into the office next to Darien's desk and sat on the corner of his desk. She was excited and couldn't help but have a goofy grin on her face. Darien was in his sky blue shirt with a stripped white and blue satin tie with black pants. His black jacket was spread over his chair. He was wearing thin black-framed reading glasses and to Serena, he looked more handsome than ever. She had to admit that he was very cute, but her life was more important than him.

"Yes, I did." He took off his glasses and rolled his chair to her side. He took her hands in his and grinned. "I'm glad to say that you are my one and only wife." With that, he pulled her to his lap and kissed her. Serena's mind was about to explode. What happened! She is NOT his wife! Darien wanted to take the opportunity to deepen the kiss, but she pulled away.

"No! No! No! It's not right. It's impossible." She got out of his lap and stared into space as she paced. "Something must have went wrong. But science is never wrong. It must be human error." She concluded. "Are you sure that my blood wasn't mixed up?" She returned her attention to Darien who sat with his chin on his hand.

"I'm positive. Here's the paper. Read it yourself." He handed her the fax he had received earlier in the morning.

She snatched the letter and read it shaking her head the whole time. "No, this is not happening. How could this happen? There is no possible way I could have Mina's blood." She could feel tears in her eyes again. _My-my-my life...it's ruined._ She glared at Darien. _It was him! He did something so I wouldn't have to leave! _"You had something to do with this! You didn't want me to leave so you cheated my test!" She accused him.

He laughed. "Could you get a crazier thought?" Serena was confused. "Do you honestly think I will cheat your test? More than anything in the world, I want my wife back to be with my child and for everyone to be happy. Don't you dare say I had something do with this!" He held her shoulders and held her firmly when she tried to move away. "You ARE my wife. You ARE Elizabeth's mother. Accept it and live with it. You promised."

She stood still staring at his chest. "I hate you." She said quietly almost as if it was whisper. "I know you had something do with this. You or someone messed up my result." A tear fell from her right eye, her emotional eye. "It seems I have no choice but to be a mother. But don't you dare think I will ever be your wife!" She ran out of the office and into her room. She collapsed on her bed sobbing.

Her future is gone. Everything she worked for is gone. Nothing mattered except for this child. A girl she had never met in her life. The door opened and disturbed her thoughts. She didn't want to deal with anyone. "Go away!" She hid her face in her pillow. She hated this world. She hated her life. She hated this place. She hated him.

"I'm sorry, Madam, but I'm afraid I can't leave." Serena spun around to see Emily standing at the door. "Mr. Shields has assigned me to be with you at all times. If I don't, I'll lose my job." Emily stated worriedly.

"Don't worry. You won't lose your job over me. But could you please give me some time alone? I promise I won't run away." Serena wiped her tears away. Emily closed the door behind her as she left uncertainly. "I'll call you when I need you." Serena smiled at Emily.

Serena lied down to calm herself down, but the phone rung calling for her attention. Annoyed, she answered. "Hello?"

"Hello, sweetheart. How does it feel to screw my husband?" A girl asked her. Her voice was filled with confidence and with sexiness enough to attract any men.

"Mina...? Is that you?" Serena sat up as she pressed the phone closer to her ear.

"Of course, dear. Now, be a good doll and take my place. I'll return as soon as I finish some..._personal_ business if you understand what I mean. Until then, satisfy my husband as much as he wants." She commanded her.

"Why don't you get a divorce if you want to finish your _business_?" Serena was mad. Mina was fooling around and wanted her to do the dirty work!

"Oh, I already have the papers, but at the last minute, I thought about it before showing it to Dare-bear. It will break Dare-bear's heart. So, I hid it, but I wanted to be happy. I ran away trying to find a replacement and of course, to have some _fun_. Then, I found you and directed him to you. My plan worked perfectly, didn't it? Now, I can be happy while he is also being fulfilled." She giggled at her success.

"And what makes you think I'll do your dirty work!" Serena yelled. How dare she! Darien didn't ruin her life! She did! No, they both ruined her life! Mina first led him to her, and he refused to let her go!

"You have no choice but to do it. The blood test proved it that you were Mina Spears, didn't it? Oops, did I just say that out loud? My bad. Be a good doll and help us out. Adios!" Mina hung up.

She didn't know what to do. The Shields ruined her life. She was mad, sad, shocked, and confused all at the same time. More than anything, Serena wanted to talk to her friends. She wanted to hear their voice to cheer her up. She picked up the phone and dialed her apartment number. After a couple of rings, someone finally picked up. "Hello?" a sweet voice answered. Amy's voice.

"Amy...how are you? Do you miss me?" Serena smiled softly as she cried once more.

"Ser-Serena! I'm doing great! I miss you like hell. I'm sorry I didn't warn you. Rei told me not to interfere so please don't blame me." Amy spoke quickly asking for forgiveness.

Before Serena could question her, Rei took the phone from Amy. "I told you not to say anything to her." Rei yelled jokingly to Amy before greeting Serena. "Hey, Serena. How's Mr. Shields? Are you still crying?" She asked softly.

"How did you know?" Serena asked. "You knew this was going to happen? Why didn't you warn me! I could have stopped this from happening!" She was mad. Her own best friend betrayed her.

"I did warn you! Remember on the day you left in the kitchen, you said something like Darien giving you chills, and I said that you'll be colder than ever. Plus, I can't interfere with one's destiny. I also told you to be strong too I think." Rei explained.

"That's not even a hint! Colder! Strong! Rei!" She was sad and disappointed. "How could you do this to me? My life is ruined because of them! Everything I've worked for is gone..." More tears fell from her eyes.

"I'm sorry, Serena. I know better than to interfere with this whole cosmic thing. Everything happens for a reason. Just be strong and be a mother. She really needs you to show her what it means to have friends and all the good things in the world. Don't be selfish and stubborn. Care for her, k? If not for her, then do it for me. You are exactly the right person to show her love. So, please do it." Rei consoled her.

"Rei! What about my life! You can't expect me to drop everything I've worked for! That's not fair. Should I let go of my dreams to satisfy others?" She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Rei wanted her to be Elizabeth's mom? Has she gone insane? Why is everyone telling her to be her mom? Can't she just enjoy her life like she wants to?

"Serena, he's not willing to let you go. Your career isn't completely gone. Think of this as a break for some personal time. You're always working, studying, or participating in clubs that I'm afraid you never really have time for yourself. Relax a bit. I'll explain to your counselor that you're taking a gap year. Everything will work out. Trust me. And while you are soul searching, you can still help a little girl. So, why not do it? I don't think you have anything major to lose. I know you won't be able to get your degree right now, but relax. You can get it later in the future. It is not completely gone." Rei reassured her.

Maybe, Rei is right. Everything does happen for a reason. Everything might turn out well, right? Serena always loved children but decided never to get married. She didn't like men. She still thought they were cute and etc., but to her, all the guys she was interested in were all sex pigs. She wanted to marry and have a child for love. She didn't think love existed between a man and a woman anymore. Love ruined Rei's life, it gave Amy rashes, and it clearly didn't exist in The Shields' marriage. "Fine, I'll do it. Only because you said so. Everything better work out or else I'll kill you." Serena threatened her.

"Sure you will, Meatball Head." Rei laughed. "It's time to go to class. Don't forget to call us. Bye." Rei hung up after they exchanged their farewells.

Serena sighed as she looked at the ceiling. She was trapped. She highly doubted Mina would let her leave. Darien won't be willing to listen to her. He probably thinks that she is already crazy. Rei wanted her to a mom. Serena loved to play with kids. She didn't want to cry her life away. She had the opportunity to know how it feels to be a mother. If this was her only chance, then she should take it, right? But could she really be a mother? Could she live everyday knowing she is lying to an innocent girl? Taking a deep breath, she cleaned her face up and opened the door to see Emily standing patiently.

"Take me to Elizabeth." Serena requested. Emily grinned and excitedly led Serena to her room. When she opened the door, she found Elizabeth holding her teddy bear on her bed as she listened to a maid pointing out the different colors in a book. Elizabeth had similar features like her dad with dark hair to her shoulders and blue eyes. She looked like a sweet little angel but bored. "Hi, sweetie. I'm Mina, your mommy." Serena flinched as she heard herself say that. She knew at that moment that she couldn't do it. She couldn't lie to her face. She tried her best to smile as Elizabeth looked up at her.

"Mama?" She was confused and kept staring at her. With a nudge from a maid, Elizabeth walked over to Serena on the bed and gave her the teddy bear.

"Thank you. What's his name?" She asked him softly as she looked at the bear in her hands.

"Bear." She stated.

"Bear? A wonderful name." Serena giggled. What was she suppose to talk to this girl about? This was harder than she thought. "What do you do everyday?"

She was quiet for a while. "Book. Food. Sleep." Her voice was so low that Serena had to lean in to hear her.

"That's it?" Serena's eyebrows rose in shock as Elizabeth nodded. "Well, you know what, Beth. We'll do much more than book, food, and sleep, k?" She grinned as she brought Elizabeth on her lap.

Days passed as Serena played with Elizabeth. Everyday, Serena would wake up early, give Elizabeth a bath, feed her, and read two books- one in the morning and the other at bedtime. She had some of the maids and the cooks to help Elizabeth play basketball, soccer, and etc. Of course, Elizabeth really couldn't shoot a basket, but that's when others would help her. Everyday was a different sport. If it rained or anything, then they played in the basement, which had a tennis/basketball court and a kid's room. Sports were very important to Serena, and she planned each day for Elizabeth. The maids and the cooks were shocked at first but decided to do it since they are getting paid to play.

Serena took care of the cooking while the maids and the cooks continued to entertain Elizabeth. She had promised them that they only had to work on the weekends, and Serena will do all do cooking and cleaning for the weekdays. After cleaning everyday, she learned about all the rooms and her way around the house. She didn't like lying to Elizabeth. Every time she was with Elizabeth, it felt wrong. She kept thinking how wrong it was to lie in her face. She wasn't her mother, and felt stupid to try. But she still wanted to be beside her. She didn't think it was immoral to take care of someone's kid. She was just a babysitter.

During the weekdays, Serena only read Elizabeth some books and fed her and etc. On the weekends, Serena was with Elizabeth the whole time, but after the tiring weekdays, Elizabeth mostly slept leaving Serena to read her college books. Even as the days passed, Serena couldn't forget about her courses. After all, studying was her life. No one can expect her to forget about it completely. She missed her friends. She missed her classes. She missed that simple happy life she used to have.

Darien these days was mostly in his office or at work. He leaves in the morning around ten and returns at six, but even after he returns, he's still inside his office. He had noticed Serena cooking and taking care of Elizabeth. Elizabeth seemed much happier and livelier than before, and he was happy. When he found out that Serena was cooking on the weekdays, he was shocked. His wife didn't cook. She only knew how to burn water. But he didn't question it. He loved the food and the idea of her taking care of Elizabeth.

The only thing that disturbed him was that Serena barely spoke to him. She would only say what was necessary and leave. He had caught her in his room reading some books or looking at pictures. He could tell she was mad at him. He wanted her to speak freely, but she never did. He tried starting a conversation with her, but she gave him one-word answers. He tried to get romantic with her, but she would pull away saying it's not appropriate or claiming she had to work. He didn't know what to do. He wanted her to be his wife again. He wanted her and didn't know how to make her understand. At times, he stole few kisses from her, but he wanted more. What was he going to do? He spoke to his business partner, Andrew Snider, about his situation hoping to get some help.

"Andrew, I don't know what to do. She acts as if I don't exist or something. She won't kiss me. She won't do anything with me." Darien paced in his office at work as Andrew sat on the couch.

"Well, you both weren't exactly in love with each other when you got married. Maybe, she wants to punish by not offering you sex." Andrew laid back on the couch.

"Maybe, you're right, but we're always lusting for each other. Doesn't want me anymore? Or does she want love now? No, that can't be it. She was the girl who was asking for sex when I proposed to her. She loves sex more than love itself." He chuckled.

"Why...did you marry her?" Andrew questioned. "Sure, she has a great body, but still, after marrying Reika, I realized there is just so much more than sex." Andrew smiled as he looked at his wedding ring.

"To be honest, I don't know. She didn't want a commitment like me. Her father asked me to marry her so that he can still save his family name. He offered me five million dollars and gave us a million-dollar wedding. Did I do a mistake marrying her? I was happy with the money and the sex, but now, I don't know anymore. " Darien sat beside his friend. " She really has changed."

A month had passed, and it was time for the Thanksgiving party. Halloween had passed, but due to the cold weather, it was canceled. Plus, Elizabeth was too sick to go trick or treating or to eat candy. The party was only a couple of days ahead. All the cooks were busy making the appetizers, the drinks, and the feast. The maids made sure all the rooms were neat and decorated. They hid all the private materials because the guests were able to go anywhere in the house. The only rooms that would be locked were Darien's office and bedroom, Serena's bedroom, Elizabeth's bedroom, and Darien & Serena's bedroom- that they never shared.

Serena had put Elizabeth to sleep for the night earlier than usual. Tomorrow was the party, and everything was ready. She went to Darien's room to go read some books before he went to sleep. She opened and turned on the lights to go to her corner of books, but didn't. Before her, Darien was on his bed half-naked with a maid on top of him. They were both in a passionate kiss and didn't break apart until he noticed Serena at the door. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to disturb. I-I-I was just about to..." She stared at them as they looked at her shocked. The maid was showing plenty of skin with her opened blouse and with her skirt higher than the other maids. "Excuse me." With that, she closed the door and walked, almost jogged, to her room. She locked her bedroom door behind her.

How could he! He was cheating on her! He was fooling around behind her back! What was she saying? She's not married to him! She shouldn't care what he did with others. But why did she? Why did she feel like crying? Because of Darien's attempt to talk and to be romantic with her, she felt...loved. Of course, she could never admit it to him. A part of her loved him. She had thought that maybe this guy was different from the others. She was an idiot, a dreamer! She raised her hopes up only to be crushed in the end. A tear slipped down her cheeks. No! She can't cry over him. After all, men are sex pigs, not worth crying over.

Darien loved every minute of their kiss. He knew she wasn't Mina, but the maid was offering him what he desired. Darien was about to go to bed ready for the big day tomorrow when the maid slipped into his room and kissed him. He couldn't stop her. He didn't want to. He had been feeling lonely for the past couple of weeks, and he wanted this. Of course, Mina could do better, but he'll just adjust. In an instant, everything went bright, and he realized that the lights were on. He pushed her away to see his wife standing at the doorway. Oh God! She caught him! He was shocked and couldn't think at all.

When she ran away closing the door, he found his voice. "Mina! Wait, Mina!" He ran to her bedroom door shirtless. The door was locked. He couldn't get in. He knocked on the door many times calling for her to open the door, but she never did. "Mina, I can explain. Please, open the door." He pounded the door, and after getting no reply, he sighed. "Let me come in." He leaned against the door and saw her lights turn off at the bottom. After he heard her fan roaring, he figured that she went to sleep. This was not his day. Without much thought, he returned to his room, fired the maid after seeing her on his bed, and tried to sleep. His thoughts were on Mina.

Why should he feel guilty? After all, Mina had many lovers. It's not like they promised they would be loyal to each other. But he couldn't rest. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw her face shocked and sad. He didn't like this feeling. He felt as if he betrayed her. He shouldn't be feeling like this. If anything, he should be mad at Mina. She was the one who had more scandals than him. But he wasn't angry. At least, not now. He turned around and punched his pillow. Oh God, what has she done to him?

The party started around two. Everyone appeared relaxed as the maids checked over all the decorations and the cooks set up all the drinks, appetizers, and meals. Serena woke up as usual and tried to wake up Elizabeth. Elizabeth wasn't behaving very well. She cried when she woke up, spat food back at Serena's face when she tried to feed her, and ran away when she tried to give her a bath. At the end, Serena was tired after two and a half hours of getting Elizabeth ready. Elizabeth was all set for the party wearing a sleeveless pink satin dress with a pearl necklace and a pink hairpin on the side of her head.

Serena only had three hours before the guests came for the party. She quickly ate her breakfast and spent one hour trying to get all the food out of her hair and drying it. After a hour and half of struggling to get her hair to behave and her make-up to look well, she was ready. She looked at her mirror admiringly as she smiled at her off-the-shoulder lacy-sleeved baby blue shirt with a side v-neck low enough to be modest and her white, blue, and black diagonally stripped skirt that came below her knee with strappy black sandals. She wore foundation to even her skin tone, a little silver and blue eye shadow with mascara and eye liner, and pink lip gloss. Her hair was in a high ponytail with many curls, and some curls framed her face making her look angelic.

She was satisfied with how she looked, and the only thing she was missing was her jewelry. She walked to her dresser and opened her jewel box when she heard a knock. "Come in, Emily." She figured it was Emily since she hadn't come by this morning. "Are you finished dressing?" She kept searching for the right set of jewelry to wear. Her body stiffened when she felt two arms wrap around her waist and pull her back into a warm body. She immediately knew who it was. "What are you doing here?" She tried to move away, but he pulled her back even closer.

"You look amazing." He nuzzled her neck. Oh, how long he had waited to hold her like this. She smelled and felt wonderful under his embrace better than he had dreamed. He kissed her bare shoulder and smiled as she shivered at his touch.

"I need to get ready. Get out before I call for Emily." She leaned on the dresser to have some space from him, but he just pinned her between the dresser and his body.

"What makes you think I'll let you call her?" He chuckled as he saw her eyes widen in the mirror. "I think this works much better than your other jewelry." He opened a box from his inside pocket of his jacket and placed a simple gold necklace with heart-shaped sapphire pendant surrounded by small spiky diamonds with matching studs for her ear. "Do you like it?" He asked as he finished putting the jewelry on her. She nodded and touched the pendant in a daze. "You look beautiful."

Before he could kiss her as he had planned after the jewelry, Emily came inside and stated the guests were here. With that, Darien pulled away and walked off to greet the guests. He was gorgeous today. He wore a blue banker shirt with thin purple and pink stripes and a pink and purple satin tie to bring out the color of his shirt and black pants. His shirt collar was over the collar of his black jacket, and his hair looked soft and silky as ever. He was gorgeous.

Serena got out of her daydream and hurried to get Elizabeth. Slowly, they both went downstairs to greet the guests. Half of the maids stood by each room guarding it while the others became waitresses. Every now and then, they rotated positions. Elizabeth quickly ran off to play with other children leaving Serena to talk to the ladies about their life, how they did their make-up, how she did hers, and about their husband/boyfriends. The place was crowded and hot. People were talking and eating on the side of the room as the center was used for dancing. She didn't know that Darien had hired a band for the party until she saw the band playing some soft songs.

The party went by pretty fast gossiping, eating lunch, feeding Elizabeth, and talking to a special guest. She rushed over to the person's side and smiled. "Yaten?" He turned around to see Serena. "Hi, how are you?"

"Serena? What are you doing here?" He led her to the corner of the room to talk. "My God, it feels as if I haven't seen you in years."

"I'm doing well." She grinned.

She noticed his mood change as he hesitated to ask. "How is...she?"

She smiled understand who he is talking about. "She is doing okay. She's still waiting." Yaten only nodded.

"I've tried to go back, but mom won't let me. She wants me to lead the company first. I'll get her back soon." He smiled at her and grinned once more. "So, how are your classes?"

"Um...well..."She explained that she was taking a gap year and has become a babysitter for Darien's daughter. A lie, but he didn't have to know that. Yaten got a call and had to go back home in a hurry for the company. He rushed saying farewell to her and Darien before leaving.

Darien had been watching her every move. She was breathtaking, and he couldn't take his eyes off her. He hadn't been paying attention to the group of guys he was talking and drinking with. He knew they could care less if he was listening to their conversation. When he noticed her sitting next to Yaten, he became mad. Why was she sitting next to him? Is her skirt higher than it used to be? He excused himself to walk over to her when Yaten began to leave. "Do you know him?" he asked her as she sat back down to have her drink of water.

"Yes, he dated my best friend." She smiled at the thought of Rei and the others. Darien stood watching her.

"Oh. Well, don't sit close to him. People will get ideas." Darien warned her. What was he saying? He didn't want her to sit close to men. Only he had the right to be that close to her. Since when was he possessive of her? She laughed at him.

"Maybe, you're the only one getting ideas." She stood up to get another glass of water.

"Where do you think you're going? You're going to come and dance with me." He led her to the dance floor before she could protest. He placed her hand on his shoulder and his on her waist as he grabbed the other hand. She tried to move away, but he pulled her closer to him by the waist. "It's not wrong to dance with your husband, you know?" He chuckled as she glared at him.

"You're not my husband!" She whispered sharply. "Let go of me. I don't dance."

"No." He smirked. "Today, you will be a proper wife for everyone to see, and I will be your husband lusting for you." He whispered in her ear and slightly bit her earlobe. He was trying to enjoy every second he had her in his arms.

"I don't think so." She glared at him. "I will never be your wife." She whispered.

"Never say never." His chuckled.

"Yes." She smiled as well, "but it's a fact." He stood still as the chef claimed that the dinner was ready. Everyone walked to the table to grab their food before returning to their assigned table, but Darien stood still holding her hands and looking straight at her eye with a smile.

"Well, we'll have to change that now, won't we?" He grinned and laid a quick peck on her lips before guiding her to the table to get some food. He watched her as she fed Elizabeth and as she ate. She was so different from the old Mina. He liked this girl before him. He liked the feeling of wanting to be with her. He liked watching her feed his daughter. He liked her.

**(AN: I warned you in the beginning of the chapter about it, but thanks to a very caring reviewer, I'm posting a warning here because some people might get offended by what's going to happen next. Read at your own risk. If you don't wish to read what's below, look for another A.N. Note. I'll explain what you missed.)**

After dinner, everyone mingled with others talking, dancing, and drinking wine. Serena was getting tired of the party, the noise, and the crowd. It was almost nine o'clock, time for Elizabeth to go to bed. She excused herself from her crowd to search for Elizabeth and was furious when she saw her. A sixty-year-old man was playing with his hand under her dress. She stormed and pulled Elizabeth away from him. "Excuse me, but what do you think you are doing?" She glared and smiled at the same time at him and his crouched figure trying not to attract any attention.

He stood up and answered her. "I was checking to see if her diaper needed to be changed." He cleared his throat. He was lying to her face!

"I already changed her diaper after dinner. Even if she did say something to you, shouldn't you have contacted me or my husband?" Serena questioned him trying her best not to scream. Darien was nearby and wondered what was happening with his wife and his biggest client.

He didn't answer for a minute, but tried his best to reply. "Well, I was checking to see if she really needed you or not." He sipped his wine.

She scoffed and whispered dangerously close to him. "The next time you decide to finger my daughter, I swear I'll castrate you." Darien excused himself from his group. Did he just hear the word 'castrate'? "I swear to you I will. Maybe, I'll even cut off your fingers so you won't be able to please yourself or others." She growled.

"Mina?" Darien placed a hand on her shoulder. "Is something the matter?" He asked worriedly as he saw both his client and her angry with a sleepy innocent Elizabeth.

"Of course not, dear." She smiled sweetly to Darien. "I'm going to go put Elizabeth to bed. She's tired." She glared at the old man before she left.

"You have a feisty wife there, Darien. If she wasn't joking, I would be afraid of her." The client chuckled as he sipped more wine. After apologizing to him, he followed his wife upstairs demanding answers.

"Mina! What do you think were doing down there!" He asked loudly as he caught up with her. "You do NOT behave like that to your guests!"

She was furious. How dare he blame her! She did nothing wrong! She was glad that Elizabeth was already asleep in her arms. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know I was supposed to watch my daughter get her first orgasm!" She glared at him and began walking off leaving a stunned Darien.

"What!" He was confused. "What are you talking about!"

She spun around to face him. "Listen, you ruined my life, and you can go screw any woman or man you want! But I will never let you or any sick man screw with my daughter. The last thing she needs is a sixty-year-old man trying to finger her!" She spoke through her clenched teeth. "She's sleeping with me tonight. Good night." She locked the door behind her.

**(AN: Okay, everything is good now. :) For those who didn't read what happened, I'll summarize it. Serena was tired and wished to take Elizabeth to bed. She got mad at an old man who was with Elizabeth. He's bad and dirty so stay away from him. Darien gets mad at Serena for not treating guests properly. Then, Serena gets mad at Darien and storms off into her room after yelling at him. Elizabeth sleeps in Serena's room. Ok, if you're still confused, let me know how I can make it better, k? Enjoy the rest of the chapter:) )**

Darien stood there in the hallway dazed. He finally understood why she was so mad. He didn't blame her. He would have done the same thing she did or even worse. He had never seen her so angry. Even on the first day when she tried to run away, she wasn't this mad. She was more depressed than angry. He wanted to apologize but reasoned he better return to the party before people became suspicious.

After a couple hours, all the guests had left. His client had left before he even got downstairs. The maids were cleaning all the rooms while the chefs were washing the dishes. Only Andrew Snider was with Darien drinking wine in his office. Darien smiled as he looked at the light through the red liquid in his glass. "I think I'm in love." He simply stated.

Andrew's eyes widened in fear. "You mean...you're in the mood for it now?"

"No, I mean IN love." He glared jokingly at Andrew for suggesting that.

"Oh." Andrew smiled and relaxed. "Since when?"

"For a long time, but I didn't realize it until today." He grinned at the thought of her.

Andrew nodded as he listened to his answer. "With who? Mina?" He drank his wine.

"No." Darien shrugged at the thought of Mina.

"Then who?" Andrew questioned curiously. He was in love with another woman.

"Serena." He loved the way her named rolled off his tongue and grinned.

"Who's Serena?" Andrew was lost. Who was this mystery girl? He never heard of her.

"My wife." He grinned leaving Andrew completely lost as Darien placed his empty wineglass on the table.

* * *

How is it? Did I disappoint you? Did you like it? Was it not good? Please give all comments. I will gladly accept everything you have to say or do. Here is bucket of tomatoes if you need it. Review please! 

- Izuno


	5. Chapter 4

Sorry for taking so long to update. I hope you enjoy this chapter. I'll try to update sooner. A lot of people were confused. I'm sorry. I wanted to leave everyone guessing in the beginning, but you're still confused, please don't hesitate to ask. I will either answer it in Q&As or include the answer in the chapter. Hopefully, you will find your answers in here. If you don't find your answer, tell me what you're confused about.

Also, I listened to another people's advice. For example, a reviewer wanted to know the difference between Mina and Serena. I have stated their physical differences before (I think in chapter three when they first met.), but in this chapter I have stated their personality differences.

So, I'm hope you enjoy the chapter. Hopefully, it'll clear some things up. I write my chapters after reading your reviews. :)

Thank you: moonqueen, KiwiKol, Meatballheadedprincess14, Endy's Girl, sereNendy, Lunadoragon, LynGreenTea, koldy, Zenetusken, yash, serenity11287, Kana07,Channah, ffgirlmoonie, Angel715, star4u, Moon Cosmic Power.

Q&As:

1) is this one of those stories that u shouldn't read if u r a Darien fan?

Answer: No, I'm a Darien fan. He's a good guy:)

2) when darien says he loves serena, does he mean the new "mina" or does he actually know the truth?

Answer: You'll find your answer in this chapter. :)

3) Why didn't Rei give a warning to Serena?

Answer: According to Rei, she did give small warnings, but she was afraid to tell Serena because she was afraid of certain consequences. It would disrupt the order of one's fate. Rei did not want to be responsible of it. Does my answer sound stupid? Well, go ahead and be mad at Rei for now, but Rei is a good girl. She's not evil. :)

Disclaimer: COL is all mine. Sailor Moon belongs to someone else. :)

Enjoy:)

* * *

Previously on COL: 

_"I think I'm in love." He simply stated._

_Andrew's eyes widened in fear. "You mean...you're in the mood for it now?"_

_"No, I mean IN love." He glared jokingly at Andrew for suggesting that._

_"Oh." Andrew smiled and relaxed. "Since when?"_

_"For a long time, but I didn't realize it until today." He grinned at the thought of her._

_Andrew nodded as he listened to his answer. "With who? Mina?" He drank his wine._

_"No." Darien shrugged at the thought of Mina._

_"Then who?" Andrew questioned curiously. He was in love with another woman._

_"Serena." He loved the way her named rolled off his tongue and grinned._

_"Who's Serena?" Andrew was lost. Who was this mystery girl? He never heard of her._

_"My wife." He grinned leaving Andrew completely lost as Darien placed his empty wineglass on the table._

* * *

Title: Colors of Life  
Chapter 4  
Rating: T

Color: Grey- The color of reflection and of the future

_Under a white gazebo surrounded by red rose bushes, two people, a couple, stood in the middle while the others circled them. Everyone around the couple watched them lovingly and some in tears of happiness. My eyes were focused on Rei, and her eyes filling up with tears as she saw Yaten get on one knee. "Will you marry me?" Yaten held up a Russian wedding ring with a ruby heart in the middle framed with two golden hands on the side. She nodded eagerly as tears trailed her cheeks and screamed "Yes" as she hugged him tightly. They exchanged rings while others clapped their hands and congratulated them. We left the couple so they could have some personal time. _

_Seiya, Amy, Lita, and I walked around the park talking about them and couples. We were all happy that Yaten finally came back to Rei. They were meant to be together. I noticed Seiya and Amy holding hands as they walked. So, they also were finally together. They were whispering loving words to each other and after a while, separated from Lita and me. Amy was red not from rashes but from blushing. She no longer had rashes with Seiya. Seiya winked and grinned at me before turning away from me. They made a lovely couple. _

_A couple of minutes after Seiya left with Amy, Lita's boyfriend surprised her with red roses and asked her to have lunch with him. She turned to me not wanting to leave me alone, but I told her to enjoy herself. Excitedly, Lita accepted and left me. As I walked alone, I thought about how everyone around me had a life and was happy. Rei's prayers were finally answered. Seiya's wishes were granted at last. Everything is perfect..._

_Or is it?_

_What about my life?_

_How do I feel?_

_Is this really the life I want to live? _

_Am I happy?_

_Where is my prince? _

_Am I all alone?_

Serena opened her damp eyes. She had been crying. No, she wasn't happy. She was all alone. Her life wasn't a fairy tale with a charming prince. She didn't have a shoulder to cry on. She didn't have warm strong arms making her feel safe within the embrace. She didn't a loved one telling her how much he loved her. She wasn't loved by anyone. No, any man. No man loved her. And she didn't love any man. There was no man in her life. No matter how many times she tried to deny it, she wanted to love someone. She wanted to give both her body and her heart to that special someone. But to her, that significant other didn't exist.

She turned on her stomach and hugged her pillow for comfort. She never had a boyfriend. She had many crushes, but they were just that. Crushes. Nothing more. She never hugged any man her age before. She wanted everything to be special. Even a simple thing like a hug. She saved everything for him, but he never showed up.

_He will never come to me. He probably wants a more experienced girl. A girl like Mina. After all, that's what most men care about, right? They don't love. They lust. To them, it was all about desire and pleasure. It's very rare for men to want love. Rei and Amy are lucky. If I can't find someone who'll love me, then I shall engross myself with work even more. _

She moaned and sat up on her bed. She watched Elizabeth sleeping with her arms and legs wide apart. The room was still dark. The sun wasn't up yet. Not wanting to sleep again, she decided to take a bath since she had plenty of time before she started her day. She gathered her clothes and her materials before she exited the room. She was afraid that the noise will wake Elizabeth up. She walked down the cold hallway until she came to a door next to Darien's bedroom.

She went inside the guest bedroom and closed the bathroom door after she entered. She brushed her teeth as she prepared her hot bath. She was sad and tired. She felt very lonely. She wanted to make sure that this bath will cheer her up no matter what. She hated feeling pathetic. She looked at the bath cream bottle and poured the whole bottle into the water. _This better work..._

She stepped into the bath loving how the water felt against her skin and relaxed. She loved the guest bathroom. It had the biggest tub she had seen in the house. Of course, there is a room that is always locked. She never cleaned the room ever because the door was always locked. She didn't bother asking Darien about it. Her thoughts went to Darien, the only man who ever touched her under false pretenses. He didn't love her. He loved Mina. A part of her wanted him to love her and her to love him. She needed to stop sounding so desperate for him. She became angrier at herself for feeling lonely and for wanting to be loved. _Come on, Serena! Get a hold of yourself! You do NOT need men! You do NOT need Darien! You are a strong independent woman! Say it out loud! _

"I do not need men. I am strong. I do not need Darien. I am strong and independent." She whispered. It didn't work. She sighed and hit the back of her head against the wall. She moaned, closed her eyes, and sunk into the hot water. _I hate my life...why does this happen every time? Why can't I be the strong girl I want to be? Why did God do this to me?_ She still felt weak and helpless.

The only people who truly loved her were her friends, but she didn't want to depend on them too much. After all, they had their own issues. She didn't expect them to be with her for support. As Serena grew, she didn't expect it from her parents. They cared more about money and about work. She never made her parents proud no matter how hard she tried. Her parents never supported or encouraged her for anything. They only criticized her bad qualities. They couldn't see her good traits.

She spent most of her childhood crying because she was alone during thunderstorms or in the dark. No one was there to comfort her. As she became a teen, she tried to appear independent, but on the inside, she was very lonely. She tried to appear as if she didn't care if her parents weren't supportive. She wanted someone to be there for her anytime anywhere, but would never admit it to herself that she needed love from anyone. Love and support were nice things to have in life, but to her, it wasn't necessary. She tries to suppress her feelings, and every couple of months, all of her feelings slap her in the face, and she cries all of it out.

"What are you doing here this early?" Darien opened a different door and saw her startled. Darien woke up when he heard the water running but went back to sleep thinking it was only his imagination since the noise stopped. After a couple of minutes, he heard a loud thud. He knew that he did not imagine that noise. It was almost six, the time he usually wakes up. He gathered his clothes and opened the door to the bathroom cautiously. His room shared the bathroom with the guest room. After he opened the door, he saw Serena taking a bubble bath. Her eyes were closed and didn't notice him staring at her. She was so beautiful like an angel. He pushed aside the thought of her body under the bubbles and focused on her face. She seemed troubled and sad. Had she been crying? He became concerned and decided to make his presence known.

Serena was shocked. She didn't know what to do. Here she was naked taking a bubble bath to cool her nerves down and to cry everything out, and Darien comes in the bathroom shirtless in his shorts. She could have sworn she locked the door. How did he get through? She really didn't want to deal with him. Couldn't she get at least an hour of privacy? "Wh-wh-what are you doing here? How did you get in?" She asked as she straightened herself but sunk under the bubbles to hide her body. She made sure the thick layer of bubbles came to her shoulder.

Darien smirked as she shyly hid her body. He couldn't see her naked, but just the thought of her naked satisfied him. He didn't have any dirty intentions right now. To him, it felt as if they were husband and wife who were comfortable sharing the bathroom. Of course, she wasn't happy with him in the bathroom, but he didn't care about that right now. They were still in the same room half-naked or naked regardless of how they felt around each other. He wanted to be her husband. He wanted her to his wife legally. He wanted her to bear his children. He wanted both of them to be comfortable with each other. He didn't mean comfortable in bed. He wanted her to trust him. Her to love him. Her to depend on him. He wanted her to want him. He wanted her.

"I share the bathroom with the guestroom. I'm here to take a shower, but might just take a bath since you already have one ready for me." He grinned. He stepped closer to her after he placed his clothes on counter and sat on the edge of the tub. He noticed her backing away from him slowly in the tub carefully. She was scared what he was going to do with her. He knew he had to take it slowly with her. He didn't want to hurt her. After all, she was not Mina. He cupped her cheek and made her look at his face. He saw her eyes red and her cheeks flushed. She had been crying, and now, she was shaking. He didn't know if it was because of his cold hand or because of fear of what he might do to her, but he didn't want to see her like this. He didn't want to see her to cry. "You're too cute." He smiled and kissed her cheek. He walked away to his sink. "Take your time. I'll just brush my teeth." He turned around to face her. "But don't hesitate to call me if you feel cold. I can always warm you up!" He winked before he began to brush his teeth.

He was joking. She was too troubled over God knows what. He wanted to lighten up the mood, but after watching her reflection in the mirror, he doubted that his joke helped the situation. She was so beautiful. He was staring at the mirror not knowing what to do after he finished brushing his teeth. He knew yesterday that he made a mistake marrying Mina. He was curious to know where she was. He had to track the real Mina down somehow and ask for a divorce. He wanted to start his life with the woman he loved. He didn't consider this immoral. He didn't see anything wrong with wanting to spend his life with the woman he loved. He found her a little later than he had wanted, but at least, he finally found her.

He never thought love existed, but she proved him wrong. He always liked women's bodies but never women themselves. With Serena, he wanted everything from her. The only obstacle for him is to make her fall in love with him. He was sure she didn't like him. After all, she claims that he ruined her life and barely speaks to him. For all he knew, she hated him. He had to make her love him. He could easily seduce women but didn't know if that was the best way to get her heart. He never thought he would ever say this to himself, but he didn't want her to lust after him. For once in his life, he wanted love. He wanted her to love him as he did.

He felt as if he was a crazed lovesick teenage boy and didn't like it that he sounded mushy. How did he become like this? How did he fall in love with Serena? What was so great about her that made him want to love her? These questions ran through his head as he watched her reflection in the mirror. She had her eyes closed and looked as if she was sleeping. He remembered how she had rejected him every time he came near her. Her rejecting him made him want to be closer to her. It made him realize she was not interested in his money. He loved the way she took care of the house with Elizabeth and with all the employees. Plus, he loved the way she felt, tasted, and smelled in his arms. He wanted her the moment he kissed her.

She was very different from Mina. Mina never took care of her responsibilities. She did whatever she wished. She hated the thought of bearing his children. She refused to come near Elizabeth after giving birth to her. She wanted sex. She wanted money. She was very selfish. She treated the employees poorly. She liked to be very sexy and wore clothes that were too revealing. She was a major flirt. She was the complete opposite of Serena.

Serena was very inexperienced with men. She liked the thought of kids and having her own family. She was considerate to others and took care of her responsibilities. She wore clothes that made her look innocent and cute. She never intended to flirt with other men. She always liked to move around working. She could never sit still for a long time unless she wanted to relax. She wasn't a sex crazed girl. She did want money in her life but money that she had earned for herself. She never wished for other people's money for her own needs. She doesn't like to depend on others, but under some circumstances, she will.

"Um...Darien?" She called out. Her bath was getting cold, and she wanted to get out. She didn't want to get up knowing he was inside the room. She looked at him and noticed him daydreaming. She tried again louder. "Darien!"

He had been thinking of how to track down Mina and how to make Serena fall in love with him. He heard her shouting out his name and turned to face her. "What is it? Do you need something?" He walked back to her and sat on the edge of the tub.

"I-I'm getting cold." She pouted as she rubbed her upper arms.

"Say no more!" He grinned and placed his feet in the tub ready to climb down next to her. "I'll warm you up." The water was slightly warm, but Darien felt the water cooler after a couple of seconds.

"No!" She placed her hands on his chest to stop him. "I would like to get out." She retracted her hands under the bubbles once more.

"Oh! All right!" He grabbed his maroon robe near the tub, stood above her, and held it wide open for her. "I'll wrap it around you." He grinned but saw her hesitate. Of course! She was naked. She wasn't going to get up willingly. "I'll close my eyes."

After making sure his eyes were closed, she quickly stood to cover herself with the robe. Darien wrapped the robe around her tightly once he felt her against him and opened his eyes. The robe came below her knee, and she was very grateful that it covered her body. She looked up to see his smiling face. His close smiling face. Too close for her. Wanting to get away from his embrace, she stepped away quickly only to slip on the soapy water and grab onto Darien for support. They both fell into the bubbly water. "You know, if you wanted me to take a bath with you, you could have just asked." He chuckled as he tried to collect as his breath and take his weight off Serena.

Serena was panting due to the lack of breath. She was underneath him with her arms around his chest. She was really grateful the robe was tied and covered her body. She had thought it couldn't get worse when he came inside, but she was wrong. Being underneath him in a tub soaking wet was much worse. "You..." She hesitated. "You're not naked, are you?" She blushed. She couldn't believe she had asked that question, but she couldn't see if he was wearing anything since his lower half of his body was under the bubbles.

He grinned at the question and at her blushing. "No, I'm not." He placed his forehead on top of hers and looked at her eyes. "But if you want me to, I can easily take off my clothes." He cupped her face and made her look at him when she lowered her gaze. He looked at her full pink lips. They were so close. He felt her breath on his face and wanted to kiss her. "I love you." He leaned down and kissed her. He pulled her up a little to a more comfortable position. Her body stiffened under him, but he wanted her to get used to the feel of his lips on hers.

He was very gentle as he sucked on her lips. He didn't want to enter her mouth yet. He wanted to take this slow as possible making sure she enjoyed it every time. In Serena's weak state of mind, she shyly kissed him back. She didn't know what she was doing but right now, she just wanted some sort of comfort. During the kiss, neither of them dared to go deeper. They just loved the feel of their lips against each other. After awhile, Darien pulled apart and grinned. He accomplished what he had intended. He knew she liked the kiss. After all, she did kiss him back.

He watched her flushed face and rolled to her side. "You okay?" She sat up. "If you ever need anything, tell me, k? You can always tell me anything, all right?" She numbly nodded. "I love you." He leaned in for a kiss, but she moved away.

"I better go now. Take your shower or bath." She stood up and peeled the water out as much as she could from the robe. Darien told her to wear his other navy blue robe on the side for now. She nodded and after he faced away from her, she changed into the new robe. She placed the wet robe in the laundry bin and walked away after thanking Darien. Darien watched her as she closed the door. He still had a long way to go.

Serena was mad. How could he lie to her like that? Saying he loved her as if he meant it! He didn't even know what love meant! If he did, he would have treated Mina correctly. She didn't know if she was mad at Darien saying he loved her or at herself for kissing Darien in her weak state. She hated herself. He didn't love her. She couldn't depend on him. She did depend on her parents, but they showed no support. She depended on her friends, but they betrayed her. Rei knew what was going to happen to Serena. After all, she was a psychic, but she didn't even say a word to warn Serena. Her friends betrayed her and that was that.

There is no way she could depend on Darien. She was not stupid. She didn't want to allow herself to get hurt again. She didn't need a fortune teller to know that Darien would hurt her. She can't depend on anyone. She needed to be strong. She had to avoid him as much as possible. If she didn't, God knows what she will do with him. She had already allowed herself to kiss him. She was afraid she would do something she would regret in the future. She was afraid that she won't be able to stop Darien when that time comes. She had to distance herself from him.

The day had gone by swiftly. None of the employees was working since it was near Thanksgiving. They were off three days before and after Thanksgiving so she was alone with Darien and Elizabeth for a week in the house. Because of this, Serena had to cook, clean, and play with Elizabeth alone. Darien helped a little when she was cooking. He offered to play with Elizabeth. He stole a few more kisses from her whenever she was cooking. The only time everyone was in same room was when Serena was cooking. It was the only time Serena allowed him near her. She couldn't wait until everyone came back from their vacation and then, Darien wouldn't be home all day.

On Thanksgiving night, Darien took Serena and Elizabeth to Andrew's house for dinner. Serena was glad that she didn't have to prepare any turkey, but to help Andrew's wife out, she made some mashed potatoes. Darien waited for Andrew to open the door when he rang the doorbell. He was watching Serena talking to Elizabeth. Serena was wearing a short-sleeved baby pink knee-length dress with some silver earrings and bracelet. She looked beautiful as always. Elizabeth was wearing a long-sleeved white polo shirt with a frilly blue skirt. Serena had made sure Elizabeth was wearing shorts underneath her skirt. Darien had wore a blue banker shirt with black pants. He had the top couple of buttons open and his sleeves rolled up.

When Andrew welcomed everyone in as he took everyone's jackets, Reika came out from the kitchen. "Sorry, I'm not finished with dinner yet. Andrew, entertain them."

Serena took off her shoes and went to Reika. "I brought some mashed potatoes. I thought you could use a little help." She handed Reika a big bowl of mashed potatoes. Serena told Elizabeth to go play with Andrew's four-year-old girl, Rebecca.

Darien came behind Serena and wrapped his hands around her waist. He knew she wouldn't make a scene in front of anyone. "Andrew and I will be downstairs drinking wine. Call me if you need anything, k?" He grinned. Serena nodded and tried to go help Reika in the kitchen, but Darien pulled her attention back to him. He kissed her and took his sweet little time kissing her knowing fully that this was an opportunity he couldn't miss. He pulled away when Andrew coughed and shook his head at Darien teasingly. Darien had a big grin on his face as he walked downstairs with Andrew.

Serena took a deep breath trying to control her emotions and entered the kitchen. "Do you need any help?" She asked sweetly.

Reika looked at her oddly, but answered her question. "The turkey is almost finished. I'm glad you made the mashed potatoes and gravy. I finished making the salad. All I need to do is desert." Reika smiled

"Oh! You're welcome. It was the least I could do. What are you making?" Serena set the table as Reika pulled out some materials.

"Chocolate fudge cake." Reika grinned. "A girl needs her sugar!" Chocolate fudge cake? Lita gave her chocolate fudge cake. Serena felt homesick again. How was her family? Did they miss her? What about her friends? She really wanted to call everyone, but she didn't have time right now. "I never made a chocolate fudge cake before so I thought 'why not make something new?'"

"I'll help you. My friend and I baked chocolate fudge cake before. It's easy." Serena grinned.

"Tell you what? You make the cake for me, and I'll keeping checking on the turkey. I can't have my turkey bad on Thanksgiving." Reika pouted. Serena agreed and began working on her cake. She was so glad that after working at the bakery for three years, she was able to use the skills she learned to help others.

* * *

"You have it bad." Andrew laughed as he sipped his red wine. "For God's sake, I was wondering when you both would separate!" 

Darien was very happy. He finally gave her a long kiss. "She tastes very sweet." Andrew rolled his eyes. He never thought he would see Darien like this ever. "Andrew, she won't let me kiss her. She has been avoiding me. What was I suppose to do? Why do you think I brought her here? She doesn't make a scene in front of others. I knew I would be able to kiss her fully. I couldn't resist."

"You so lucky I even accepted to have you for Thanksgiving. I had a hard time convincing Reika. She really doesn't like Mina. So, I told her the truth. I told her about Serena and about your situation. Hopefully, Reika will like her and won't kill me tonight." Andrew sighed.

"Serena's not bad. Everything will go fine between them. She's too nice. Both of them are." Darien reassured Andrew. "I need your help. I don't know what to do with her."

"You mean you want to have sex with her?" His eyebrows shot up.

"Of course! I mean, I do love her, and I'm too afraid that I might hurt her. She won't let me near her. How am I suppose to get her to that stage if she avoids me?" Darien stood up and paced.

"Seduce her." Andrew simply stated.

"She runs away." Darien sighed.

"Seclude her." Andrew suggested and took another sip.

"What do you mean?" Darien stopped pacing and faced Andrew. He was curious.

"Separate her from others. Trap her to be in the same room as you. Make sure she doesn't have any excuses to run away." He explained.

"You know...now that you mention it, our anniversary is coming up." Darien smiled wickedly as he thought of a plan.

"It is?" Andrew was lost. "Isn't your anniversary with Mina six months away from now?

"Yes, it is, but Serena doesn't know that. She doesn't know I know the truth. She's still acting as if she's my wife. If I tell her that our anniversary is tomorrow or whenever, she'll believe it. I could take her out for a honeymoon away from everyone else." Darien grinned at his plan.

"I see what you're getting at. What about your employees and Elizabeth?" Andrew smiled.

"Well, you're the vice president, and I trust you to take care of the company for me. I'll have all the house workers off. I just don't know what to do with Elizabeth. After the incident at the party, she doesn't trust men around Elizabeth anymore. I can't have Elizabeth on my honeymoon" Darien was scared of what might happen if Elizabeth was there with them.

Andrew laughed. "Don't worry. I'll ask Reika to take care of her. She thinks of Elizabeth as her second daughter so I'm sure she'll help out."

"Really? Thank you so much." Darien poured another glass of wine for both of them. "You really are the best vice president! Here's to your idea!" Their wine glasses clinked.

Serena had finished baking the cake and placed it in the fridge. Reika kept checking on the turkey and set the table. She went downstairs to call the men up for dinner. She heard glasses clinking as she stepped down the stairs. "Hey, Darien?" She called out. She was scared to see if they were drunk.

Darien stood up to greet her. "What is it, sweetheart?" He looked at her appearance. She had some chocolate stains on her dress and smudges on her cheeks and on her forehead. He gave Andrew a smile only to have Andrew shaking his head jokingly. Andrew knew what Darien was saying. His Serena was too adorable.

"Dinner is ready. I just came down to call you." She stood a couple of meters away from him.

Andrew quickly took up their wine bottle and wine glasses upstairs. He walked past Serena, but turned around. "Mina, do you want wine?" He didn't know if this girl ever drank in her life. He knew Mina drank all the time, but thought it was safe to ask to know how many glasses he needed upstairs.

"No, water is fine." She smiled at Andrew as he walked upstairs. She was about to follow him when Darien pulled her back into his embrace.

He hugged her waist from behind. "Do you know you look so adorable right now?" He whispered in her ear as he rested his face on her shoulder.

She didn't like how close he was to her. His breath tickled her skin. She didn't like what he did to her. "Let go of me." She tried to pull away, but he held onto her tightly.

"I have the biggest urge to taste you right now." He turned her to face him and kissed her cheeks. He slightly licked her as he cleaned her up.

Serena held onto his chest tightly. She couldn't lose control now. "Stop it." She tried to shout, but it came out as a whisper.

"Stop what?" Darien asked innocently as he finished cleaning her up.

"You're trying to seduce me." She took a deep breath to calm her emotions down.

"I don't know. Am I?" He put on his most innocent face he could.

"Yes, you are." She glared.

"So, you enjoyed it?" He grinned. "Seduction means that the other partner enjoyed it."

"Let me go." She tried to pull away. "You're trying to play games with me, and it's not going to work."

"Are you sure it won't work?" He smirked smugly.

"Positive." She was able to avoid him before, and she was sure she can keep her distance from him.

He grinned at this future plans. "All right. Come on, I'm sure they're waiting for us." He led her upstairs with his arm around her waist.

Everyone was ready to eat when Darien and Serena sat down at the table. Serena apologized for taking so long. Reika smiled at her and told her not to worry about it. After saying prayers and what they were grateful for, they began eating. Serena once again felt homesick and sad knowing she didn't have anything to be grateful for at the moment. She tried to forget about it, but she couldn't.

Will she ever be grateful for anything as long as she's with Darien? She tried to keep smiling, fed Elizabeth, and ate when Elizabeth was taking her time gulping down the food. Darien had noticed the change in Serena but decided it was best not to do anything. He knew she wasn't happy. She hasn't been happy for the past couple of days. He wanted to make her happy. Even if it's the last thing he did, he wanted her to be happy because of him.

The rest of the evening went by fast. Everyone enjoyed the food and had fun talking. Before departing, Reika had invited Serena to come over or to drop Elizabeth off for a sleepover or anything. She really liked Serena and hoped to see her more often. Andrew and Darien were really glad that they both got along. Andrew laughed and asked "So, when's the anniversary?"

Darien grinned. "I don't know. I'm thinking next week. You'll be the first to know."

* * *

So, how was it? Did you like it? Are you confused still? Please tell me what you are confused about if you are. Also, tell me what you would like to see more. Do you wish to see more about a character's background or more difference between Mina and Serena? Please tell me and remember, I write my chapters after reading your reviews. :) 

Also, another thing I wanted to mention. I think a lot of people might be confused about Serena's personality. Does she or she not want love? In reality, she does. She doesn't want to be alone, but she tries to hide those feelings. She's afraid of getting hurt. So, she surpress those feelings inside of her. She wants to be a strong independent woman because she believes strong woman don't get hurt easily. I'm sorry if I didn't portray that clearly.

Please review:) Thank you everyone!

- Izuno


	6. Chapter 5 v 1

A new chapter:) I'm sure all of you been waiting for this wonderful honeymoon. I hope I didn't disappoint you. :) Enjoy!

Thank you for the wonderful reviews: KiwiKol, moonqueen, nancy n, serenity11287, navz, Gabyttita, raye85, sereNendy, Silver Moon Goddess1, mooshii, iibebe x chinkii, Angel715, Serena-and-Darien-4ever, Meatballheadedprincess14, ffgirlmoonie,Usagi Tenou, koldy, LynGreenTea, Kana07, Lunadoragon,& supersaiyanx.

**Please read the paragraph below!**

I'm really glad I cleared most of people's confusion. If you're still confused, please tell me. I really hope you enjoy this chapter. This is rated T. I didn't want to get in trouble, and I was afraid to get near the line for M. If you were expecting some steamy romance, please tell me. I'll gladly write you more in the upcoming chapters. Remember, I refuse to write actual sex scenes, but I will do steamy scenes. :) Or if you like the romance in this chapter, then I'll continue with this type of romance. :) Read & Review!

Q&As:

1.) why doesn't Serena like explain to him that she's not his wife, Mina?

Answer: You'll find your answer in this chapter. :)

2.) Is there gonna be a chapter with Mina's thought and stuff?

Answer: Interesting question. I was planning on bring Mina back all mean and evil, but now that you asked me this question, I can't make her too evil. So, to answer your question, yes. I will explain why she did what she did. :)

Disclaimer: BSSM is all Naoko! COL is all me:)

* * *

Previously on COL:

_"You know...now that you mention it, our anniversary is coming up." Darien smiled wickedly as he thought of a plan._

_"It is?" Andrew was lost. "Isn't your anniversary with Mina six months away from now?_

_"Yes, it is, but Serena doesn't know that. She doesn't know I know the truth. She's still acting as if she's my wife. If I tell her that our anniversary is tomorrow or whenever, she'll believe it. I could take her out for a honeymoon away from everyone else." Darien grinned at his plan._

_Andrew laughed and asked "So, when's the anniversary?"_

_Darien grinned. "I don't know. I'm thinking next week. You'll be the first to know."_

* * *

Colors of Life  
Chapter 5  
Rating: T

Color: White- the color of connection or of acceptance

It has been two days since Thanksgiving. Darien sat in his office thinking how to get Serena out of the house and on their honeymoon. He knew that she wouldn't come willingly. What was he going to tell her? He was afraid to tell her that he knew the truth about her because then she would demand him to let her go. He couldn't do that. He needed her. He wanted to spend his life with her. He didn't think she would believe him if she told him. He couldn't have her think correctly. He needed her to act on impulse. On desire if he wanted to make love to her.

Make love...he had never used those words together before. It was always sex. Was there a difference? When people make love, do they consider their partner? Every time he slept with Mina, it was to satisfy him or until she was exhausted. Now, he wanted to make love. How does he do that? He didn't want to hurt her. He was sure this would be her first time. He wanted it to be special. He wanted her to enjoy it as much as possible. When people make love, was it more than just physical? Were there emotions involved? He was lost. He never made love to anyone. Another question popped into his head, and he got scared.

Do both people have to be in love with each other to make love? His heart stopped. How could he make love if Serena doesn't love him back? Does she love him? He was sure that she was attracted to him, but love? Did she at least have the tiniest crush on him? What if she didn't love him? Would his plans be ruined? Oh dear God. He needed to know. He rushed out of his office and ran downstairs. It was about lunchtime, and he saw her in the kitchen cooking.

"Se-Mina!" He almost called out her real name. She turned around to face him. "I need to talk to you."

She turned off the stove and gathered fried shrimp on a plate. "Good timing. Lunch is ready." She placed her mittens on and tried to walk to the table, but Darien pushed her and her hot plate to the counter. "Hey! What are you doing? It's really hot!"

He placed the plate on the counter, and his hands gripped her upper arms. "I don't care about that right now." Serena stared at him as if something had possessed him. "I need to ask you something very VERY important. So, please, put your pride, ego, and everything aside and answer my question seriously." He was at her eye level, and his eyes pleaded her. This really meant a lot to him. When he saw her nod and confused, he continued. "Do you love me?"

Serena's jaw fell. What in the world is going on here? What happened to him? Is he drunk? Did he drink too much again? "What! Why are you asking me this all of a sudden? Darien, what is going on? Have you been drinking?" She tried to get away from his grip, but he caught both of her hands in his.

"No please! I really need to know." He squeezed her hands and kissed both of her hands. He kept searching for answers in her eyes.

She stared at him for a minute to know if he was serious. Why was asking her this all of a sudden? What was she suppose to tell him? That she really did like him after he had kidnapped her? She has been living with him for a couple of months now. She tried to escape, but the fates are against her. She behaved like a mother only to get on Darien's good side so that he can finally allow her to go back to college. But he never did change his mind and she never questioned him either. She got used to taking care of Elizabeth and of household duties that she accepted her life as Mina. Has she lost her will to study throughout these months?

She really didn't mind living with him. He was sweet to Elizabeth and romantic with Serena. But was he loyal? Was he a good father? She remembered the night she saw him in bed with another maid and the night he yelled at her for trying to protect Elizabeth. She looked at him again. He was gorgeous with his deep blue eyes, soft pink lips, long eyelashes, and silky black hair on his defined features. He was very healthy and sculpted. She felt her knuckles brush against his strong well-built chest. She was attracted to him. There was no doubt about that. But love? Could she love him?

She sighed and decided to answer him. She realized that he wasn't going to let her go. "To be honest, I don't know, but then again, I shouldn't. After all, you're married to Mina Spears. Not Serena Lionheart." She slipped her hands out of his grip. "We better eat our lunch. It's getting cold." She tried to reach the plate, but he blocked her way.

He stood his full height and placed her on the counter. She kept staring at him not knowing what to do or what was happening around her. He cupped her face and looked intently into her eyes. "I don't care who are. You could be Mina Spears, Serena Lionheart, or Heidi Klum for God's sake. Right now, you are the woman I love." His lips hovered above her lips almost as if he going was going to kiss her. She closed her eyes automatically waiting for him to finish the kiss, but he didn't. "Forget if you should or shouldn't. I'm asking you again. Do you or do you not love me?" He whispered huskily.

She opened her eyes and saw him with a smile in his eyes. He was happy that he affected her with his touch. He was trying to seduce her. He was playing games with her. She clenched her jaw. She pushed away from him, but he held her firmly with his hands behind her neck. "You're trying to play games with me. Let me go. I won't fall for it." She pushed his shoulder, but he didn't budge. "If I admit that I'm falling in love with you every time you touch me, God knows what will--" She was silenced.

He pulled her to his lips and kissed her deeply. He crushed her body into his as his tongue invaded her mouth. Serena's hands slipped from Darien's shoulder and found itself in Darien's hair. She moaned when she kissed him with the same passion as Darien. Darien was in heaven. Not only did she love him, but she was also kissing him back. He didn't know why she was hesitating to say she loved him to his face, but right now, he didn't care. She loved him.

He wanted to pull back, but he couldn't. She was so addictive with her hands in his hair and with her legs wrapped around his waist. He had to wait. He wanted their first time to be special. He couldn't make love to her in the kitchen. She deserved better. They finally broke apart from the kiss when they were breathless. Serena closed her eyes and rested her head on his shoulder. He still held her up as if she was a little child. He leaned his head on top of hers trying to calm himself down. She was so close to him. She smelled so wonderful. He took a deep breath and walked to a nearby chair cradling Serena.

He sat down with her on his lap. "Thank you for answering the question. You have no idea what you just did." He kissed her ear.

She opened her eyes and glared at him. "I hate you. You tricked me." Before she could say everything in her mind, her walkie-talkie sounded. "Oh! Looks like Elizabeth is awake." She got off his lap. She ran to the counter to retrieve the plate of fried shrimps and placed in the toaster. "It should be finished in a couple of minutes or so. Start eating without me. I need to feed Elizabeth." Elizabeth had begun to cry. Serena rushed in the hallway. "I'm coming, Elizabeth. Hold on!"

That night, Darien was still pondering where to take Serena on their honeymoon. He couldn't sleep. He didn't know how or where to take Serena. He sighed and turned on his side-table light on. He looked around his room, and his eyes fell on Serena's corner. Maybe, he could find a clue in there. He walked over and sat on the chair. She had everything organized so it was very easy for him to find notes that she had passed among her friends. After reading many notes, he had found details about other people. Why didn't Serena ever talk about herself? Did her friends never give her the opportunity to talk about herself or did she not want to?

Finally, when he was ready to go to bed, he found the perfect note. It was a note mentioning where her friends and Serena would want to go after they made enough money. After reading many handwritten notes, he somewhat knew who wrote what. His girl wrote in small tiny letters. She had the smallest handwriting compared to her friends, and she wanted to go to Paris.

_Paris..._

_She wanted to go to Paris._

_Perfect! This will be romantic. She will love it. She will enjoy it. And I get to make love! THANK YOU GOD!_

He returned to bed with a big grin on his face. He finally answered one of his big questions. Now, how or what will he tell her? He could lie to her, but if she's mad at him in Paris, then the whole honeymoon would be ruined. Should he just tell her? "Honey, we're going to Paris"? What will she say when he tells her Elizabeth won't be coming? Maybe, he should hide the fact that this will be a honeymoon. Instead, it'll be some bonding time or something. Hopefully, that'll work. He didn't want to lie to her completely. After all, they would be "bonding." With that thought, he went to sleep.

The next day, Darien reserved a room in a luxury hotel and made plans for each day on their honeymoon. Their honeymoon was going to last five days. He called all the employees with the household duties to notify them of their extended holiday break. Finally, he called Andrew and asked him to come over so they could pick Elizabeth up. Andrew agreed to come around four o'clock with his family.

In two hours, Andrew would take Elizabeth. He wanted to spend some time with his daughter and tell Serena about their trip. He left his office and searched for Serena. He found her in Elizabeth's room reading a children's book to her. He walked over and sat beside her. "It looks like she's already sleeping." He whispered with a smile.

"She just fell asleep. I always read a little afterwards so I can be sure I put her to sleep. For some reason, reading puts her to sleep. She's going to have trouble in school." Serena sighed and placed the book on the side-table. "Did you need something?" She looked up at him.

"Yeah. I just wanted to spend time next to Elizabeth and to tell you something." He kissed Elizabeth on her forehead, pushed some hair from her eyes, and stood up. "Come outside. Let her sleep." He walked off with Serena following him.

"Is something wrong?" She asked worriedly. She noticed Darien nervous. He hadn't seen him like this before.

"Well, it depends on your answer. I have a favor to ask you. Will you do it?" He asked as he knotted his fingers.

"If it doesn't cost me anything and if I can, then sure, but I won't do anything drastic like jumping off a bridge." Serena closed Elizabeth's bedroom door quietly.

"No, nothing like that. Would you like to go to Paris with me?" He asked quickly. He felt like a teenage boy asking his first love out on a date. He couldn't breathe. He was praying to God so much. Everything depended on her answer.

"Paris? As in France?" Serena asked surprised. He was lying. He was not asking her to go Paris, was he? He's bluffing. He nodded. "Are you serious!" She squealed and jumped into his arms. She hugged him tightly and kissed him on the cheek. "We're going to Paris! Ah!" She hugged him again. "Thank you so much!" Once she controlled her emotions, she asked him "Who's going?" Her hands were tied around his neck still.

Darien was shocked. She hugged and kissed him on the cheek. She made the first move for the first time. He was grinning like a fool when Serena asked him the question. "Just you and me."

"What?" Serena loosened her grip. "What about Elizabeth? We can't leave her behind."

"We're not. Reika will take care of her while we're in Paris. Plus, Elizabeth is only two. We'll take her when she's older. If we take her now, then she'll disturb the other people at the hotel. We're used to her, but others aren't." He tied his hands around her waist. He didn't want her to let go of him just yet. He didn't know what he was saying. Words kept coming out of his mouth, and he hoped it convinced her.

Serena nodded in agreement. "So, how long will we be gone?"

"Five days." Darien kissed her forehead. She had accepted to go to Paris. He thanked God many times in his head. He was really afraid she would refuse.

"When are we leaving?" She slid her arms to his chest.

"Tonight." He simply stated.

"What!" She pushed him away. "Tonight! Why didn't you tell me sooner? I have to pack so many things!" She rushed to her room. Darien followed her laughingly. That night, Andrew and Reika came by for an hour. Serena told Reika how to take care of Elizabeth. After they finished packing, they both left for Paris at eleven. Serena mostly slept her way through the plane ride, but Darien was too excited to sleep.

He couldn't believe it. He was going on his honeymoon with Serena. It was a dream come true. He was really anxious, but not because he could make love. He was eager to spend time with her. Serena had always rejected him. He planned to know more about her. He wanted to get her to trust him. He wanted her to want him. Only then would he make love to her. He didn't want to force her into her. Hopefully, she'd enjoy Paris and his company. He had reserved a room near the Eiffel Tower. It had a bedroom with a king sized bed and a bathroom with a Jacuzzi. A small living room with a couch, two chairs and a table with a phone and a TV. Lastly, there was balcony facing the Eiffel Tower and the shopping district.

By the time they arrived, the sun was shining. Serena was still sleepy after Darien woke her up, but once she got outside the airport, she was awake. She was in Paris. It was always her dream to go to Paris. She didn't know why, but she always wanted to go. She was in the City of Love. She grinned as she looked at all the buildings passing by as they went on to their hotel. It was really beautiful. She had seen pictures, but seeing the buildings in person was much better. She was like a little kid at a candy store watching everything in amazement.

Once they reached their hotel, Darien led her inside as a host lead the way to their room. The hotel was fancy. Everything was beautiful. Serena entered the room in amazement. The whole wall was painted with phoenixes and peacocks. In contrast, the room was decorated with rich deep red and white fabric. She spun around in circles admiring everything.

Darien paid the host and watched Serena with a smile. She was so adorable. He had been to Paris before so he was used to its beauty, but he never took his eyes off Serena. He loosened his tie and took off his shoes watching her. He wondered how long it would take her to notice him. He chuckled and placed their bags near a table. Serena was running around everywhere touching everything she could. By the time she finished, she noticed Darien sitting on the bed watching her. She hugged him tightly thanking him once again while pushing him on his back on the bed

"So Darien, where's your bedroom?" She sat on his lap with a big grin. Her hands were on his chest to balance herself.

He grinned and knocked her hands off his chest making her fall on him. "This is my room." He whispered in her ear. "This is our room."

"You mean, we're sleeping on the same bed?" She tried to get up, but he held her down.

"Exactly." He flipped her over and was on top of her. "For the next five days and nights, we will be sharing this room."

"Why?" She tried to push him away but he wouldn't move.

"I want to know more about you. What makes you cry? What makes you laugh? I want to know everything about you. How can I do that if you're in another room?" He grinned at her confused expression.

"Why?" What was going on? She let her excitement control her, and now, she was stuck with him. This was a trap, and she fell in completely blind.

"Just how long are we going to keep living like this? I am your husband, and you're my wife. I want live like husband and wife." He lifted her up and placed her on bed. "I am going to make you feel comfortable around me. I want this relationship to work." He laid beside her.

"But Darien-" Serena protested sitting back up on the bed.

"No Buts!" He pushed her back down. "I'm tired. I want to sleep a little while. Get some rest." He wrapped his arm around her waist and fell asleep.

She laid back down without a choice. What was she going to do? How can she be comfortable around him? How can she trust him? Everyone in her life had hurt her before including him. The night he was in bed with the maid and the night he yelled at her for protecting Elizabeth. On those nights, he had hurt her deeply. To her, they were both from different worlds. It wouldn't work. She wished that she hadn't come to Paris at all. She didn't have anywhere to go. She didn't have any money. And she didn't speak French. How can she get away from this trap? This wasn't good. He was going to hurt her again. That's all he'll do to her. She didn't want to get betrayed or hurt again. She turned away from him as a tear dropped from her eye. After a couple of minutes, she fell asleep.

"Wake up, sleepy head." He shook her the billionth time. He sighed when she didn't wake up once more. She slept like a dead person. He had planned a romantic night with candles and fruits next to the Jacuzzi after dinner, and if she didn't wake up soon, his whole plan would be ruined. He needed something to wake her up. He saw her belly when she stretched in her sleep. He grabbed her hip, lowered his head to her stomach, and moved his head from side to side making his hair tickle her stomach.

She woke up screaming holding Darien's head near her stomach. "You dirty creep!" She slapped his head away lightly.

He was laughing. "You wouldn't wake up. I didn't know what else to do. Brush your teeth and take a small shower. We're going out for dinner." He stood up and walked away to get dressed. "Oh, make sure you dress up."

"But I didn't bring anything fancy." She walked over to him. She saw him next to the dresser with his black pants and his white banker shirt with purple and pink stripes open.

"Come here." He walked over to the closet. She followed him and opened the door when he told her. He stood behind her with his hands on the double doors. "You can pick anything you want in here. If you like it, you can keep it."

"But don't you have to pay for it?" She asked as she looked up at his face.

"Of course." He grinned down at her. "Nothing good is free around here. But go ahead. Pick anything you want." He walked away

Thirty minutes later, Serena came out of the shower with her with a sleeve-less black dress that came to her knees. The top of the dress hugged her curves, but below the waist, the dress spread out giving her space to move her legs freely. She had her wavy hair tied in a half-ponytail. She wore silver jewelry with silver eye shadow and silver strappy sandals with a white leather purse.

He grinned at Serena's appearance. "You look wonderful, but you're missing one thing." She was lost. She thought she had everything. He walked over to her and held her left hand in his. "Your wedding ring." He slipped a golden band with several small diamond specks around the ring on her finger. Serena didn't have any time to react and stared in shock at her ring. "I didn't notice it until a couple of days ago."

Serena wasn't listening to him. She was wearing a wedding ring on her finger. A ring that she had always dreamt to receive from the guy she loved. It's always a girl's dream to get married to a wonderful loving husband and for him to place it on her. It symbolized that their souls and bodies are one. And she got it from a man who didn't love her. He loved Mina Spears. She didn't deserve this ring, but he won't believe her. Just like she predicted, he hurt her in this small action. Her heart was broken. Wearing that ring felt like she was wearing handcuffs. She was trapped. Life was cruel. She nodded numbly when he asked if they could go eat dinner. He held her hand as they walked down the street to a nearby restaurant.

Darien had noticed the change in her. He had lied to her. It wasn't a wedding ring. He had personally made that ring for her. Inside, he had inscribed a short message with her name on it. If she were to look inside the ring, she would know that he knew the truth. He hadn't meant to hurt her feelings. He didn't know how else to give it to her. To him, it was their engagement ring. He'll make her feel better. He'll make sure that she won't regret wearing that ring. He swore to himself that it will be the best thing that happened to her life.

By the time, they entered the restaurant, Serena had gotten used to wearing the ring. This was her life. This was fate's way of telling her that she can't escape this life. She looked at their joined hands. This was fate's way of telling her that she couldn't escape him. She was Serena Lionheart but she was suppose to live the life of Mina Spears. Just wonderful. She was stuck in a loveless "marriage." She sighed. She was in Paris. This was probably a once in a lifetime opportunity for her. She had to make the most of it. She couldn't let him ruin it.

Once they were seated, Darien asked "Do you see anything you like?"

Serena gave him a troubled look. "I don't understand anything. I don't know French."

"Do you like Lobsters?" He folded his menu. She nodded. "All right, I'll order the same thing for you."

The restaurant gave an intimate feeling with its dim lights and with a candle surrounded by red roses on each table. Serena watched everyone eating happily. It was very obvious that all the people in the restaurant were couples. She felt a pang in her heart. Darien noticed her still upset over the ring. He wanted to cheer her up. "Do you like shopping?"

She smiled faintly. "Yes, if I have the money."

"Perfect. For the next four days, we'll see what Paris has to offer us. We'll travel to each cardinal direction of the city, go shopping, eat along the way, and check out some scenery." He grinned. "Don't you think it'll be fun?" She nodded weakly. He sighed. This conversation wasn't going anywhere. He was really glad he a got a table near the corner. It hid them from other people, and he was able to sit beside Serena instead of across. "Do you hate the ring that much?" He enveloped her right hand with his hand.

"I like the ring. That's not the problem. It's the person who gave me this." She paused when the food arrived and continued after the waiter disappeared. "I always wanted to receive something like this from a guy I loved who loved me back. Plus, I wanted to go to Paris on my honeymoon. It's all wrong. Everything I wanted is given to me for all the wrong reasons." She ate her food.

"What makes you think I don't love you?" He glanced at her from his side while he swallowed his food.

She hesitated. She didn't want him thinking that she was jealous or anything. She wasn't, but it did make her mad when she thought about that scene. "You love that maid more than me. You loved her enough to sleep with her behind my back." She didn't look at him. She quickly chewed her food.

"What maid!" He yelled out confused. "Oh! Her. I did not sleep with her." He noticed Serena rolling her eyes. "I swear to God I didn't. I was a little lonely those times. You completely avoid me, and I wanted some love in my life. But I did not want her to come into my room at night. I was about to go to bed when she slipped in. She took advantage of me in my weak state. I fired her that night." He looked at her face to see if she believed him. "I'm serious. Ever since I brought you here, I haven't been able to forget you. When you didn't let me come near you, I didn't know what to do. I was addicted to you. I still am, but now, I can at least control it because I can steal a few kisses from you."

She believed him. He had been kissing her a lot more now than he used to, but still, she doubted his love for her. "You're lying. You don't love me. If you love someone, you trust them. You didn't or haven't trusted me yet. The night of the party when you yelled at me for treating your guest poorly, you yelled at me for protecting Elizabeth. You sided with that jerk. You didn't support me." She drank her water.

"I wanted to apologize to you to about that night. I'm sorry. I didn't know why you behaved the way you did until later that night. When I was yelling at you, all I knew was that you threatened to castrate one of my biggest clients. But afterwards, on the next day, client or no client, I ripped up the contract that I had with him and threw it in his face. It was a major lose to him than it was for me even though it did hurt me a little. I'm extremely sorry about that. You're right. I should have trusted you. I'm sorry." He patted her thigh.

"Then, why don't you trust me when I say I'm not your wife? Why won't you let me go?" She finally looked at him. He was lying back on the booth with his left arm over her.

He watched her for a minute thinking how to answer her question. Should he tell her he knows the truth? Or still pretend to think she's his wife? He sighed and answered her. "How can you expect me to let you go? You are the woman I love. No guy, in his right mind, would leave the girl he is in love with. So, it doesn't matter if you are my wife or not. I'm not letting you go."

Serena pondered over what he had said while he paid the bill. Did he really love her? Or was he just toying with her? If he knew the truth, wouldn't he call her Serena? He still called her Mina. As far as she was concerned, he still thought she was Mina, but he loved the girl in Paris with him. So, does that mean he loved Serena or Mina? She was confused. Maybe, she shouldn't think about it too much.

By the time they arrived back to the hotel, they were very cold. Serena was shivering in her dress even though she did have her jacket on. Darien was comfortable in his clothes but was very glad he had asked the maid to have the Jacuzzi ready. He went inside the bathroom to make sure everything was set while Serena changed into her pajamas, which was a t-shirt and shorts. She heard Darien calling her from the bathroom and opened the door to see why he needed her.

Her jaw fell when she saw candles everywhere and Darien sitting in his shorts in the Jacuzzi with his arms spread out and with a plate of fruits beside him. "Come in. Join me. It'll warm you up." He grinned and asked her to come with his fingers.

She shook her head. "No way. I don't think so. I'm going to bed." Before she could escape, Darien pulled her near the Jacuzzi and lifted her up and into the tub. "AH! I only have two pajamas! I can't these wet and smelly!" She tried to get up, but he held her down by the shoulders.

"Relax. Enjoy it." He massaged her shoulders until she calmed down. "Doesn't it feel good?" He grinned when she nodded.

"I never been in a Jacuzzi before." She smiled as she spread her arms and legs in and out. She hesitated to bring up the topic from the restaurant, but she couldn't help herself. "Hey, Darien...when you say I am the woman you love, who do you mean?" She kept playing with the water.

"What do you mean?" Darien asked as he draped his arm over her shoulder. "There is only one you."

"I mean, do you like the girl you knew before or the girl who's sitting with you right now?" She asked shyly.

"I like the girl I brought back home. The one who is in Paris with me." Darien stated with a smile. She nodded and smiled. He liked her. Serena. Not Mina. She was happy. The guy she liked loved her back. "You have a pretty smile. You should smile more often." He poked her cheek. She relaxed and rested on his arm. "Can I ask you questions?" He asked as he watched her.

"Sure, I guess it's only fair." She gave him a quick smile.

"Are you comfortable around me?" He asked. He was hoping that she was enjoying his company and that he has destroyed any bad images Serena had of him in her mind.

"Not completely, but somewhat yeah. I've lived with you for a couple of months now, and I've seen you half-naked many times. So, I guess you could say I am." She splashed water up into the air.

He nodded in consideration. "Do you like it whenever I kiss you?"

She stopped playing. What can she say? "To be honest, yes. It makes me feel loved. I never felt that way in my life. Well, I have, but in the end, they all betrayed me. But this is the first time I felt loved from a guy. Women always like to feel loved by men." She closed her eyes.

"If I kiss you now, will you kiss me back?" He grinned as he positioned him in front of her.

She bit her bottom lip and grinned. "You'll just have to try and see what happens." He laughed and bent down to kiss her sweet lips. They enjoyed their first night together. They stayed in the Jacuzzi until all the fruits were gone and until their skin was wrinkly. Even though they didn't make love, they slept together comfortable in each other arms in the same bed.

The next couple of days, they went shopping and site seeing. If Serena liked any of the clothing she wore in the fitting room, Darien bought it for her. Of course, Darien did buy some undergarments and negligees for her without her approval, but later at night, she had to use those because of lack of pajamas. They bought many souvenirs or anything Serena wanted. They took pictures along the way everywhere they went. Darien took a picture of Serena wearing a negligee. Serena demanded that he delete that picture from his digital camera, but even though he said he did, he didn't. It was a beautiful picture he wasn't going to destroy. He was planning to add it in his collection of Serena's pictures.

"Tomorrow is our last day in Paris. We'll go see the Eiffel Tower." Darien said as he laid on the bed.

"All right. Let me just pack most of the things now. We have too many things." Serena ran around the room gathering all of the materials they bought.

"Come to bed. You can do that tomorrow." Darien patted her side of the bed.

"It's best to do it now. Besides, I'm not sleepy. Do you have--" She heard a thunder. "What was that? Was that thunder or a truck pass-- AH!" She screamed when the power went out from the lightening. She let out a low whimper. "Darien...I-I-I can't see!"

"It's okay. Just calm down." He sat up on his bed. He couldn't see anything either. "Let me open the curtains." He pushed the curtains aside to let some light in from the window next to the bed, but the whole town had a blackout. "No luck." He sighed and sat back down on his bed.

When the next lightening hit, Serena screamed, ran and jumped into Darien's arms. She gripped onto him as if he was her life support. Darien comforted her and tucked her into bed. Even under the sheets, she didn't let go of him. He hugged her close to him. "It's okay. Everything will be fine. I didn't know you were afraid of thunderstorms." He rubbed her head trying to soothe her.

"I'm not. I'm afraid of lightening storm. THIS is a lightening storm." She whimpered and hugged him closer when she heard and felt the lightening striking.

"What did you do when you were young?" He asked curiously. This girl was scared to death. How did she live to be twenty-one like this?

"When I was young, I used to hug my pillow. My parents were never home for me. They told me to grow up. They told me to stop being childish. I could never rely on my parents. They always cared for what makes them look better. They could care less if I'm happy and safe. When hugging my pillow didn't work, I would hide in my closet with my earphones on. Or if I don't have a walk-in closet, I go sit in the tub. I always hug myself so tight, and it feels as if someone there with me hugging me back. Sounds pathetic, doesn't it?" She chuckled.

"No. No, it doesn't. Don't worry. I'm here for you. I'll always be here for you." Darien kissed her forehead and molded her body to his. After a couple of minutes, she fell asleep in his arms. Tomorrow was their last day in Paris. Tomorrow, he'll make love to Serena. He had really accomplished a lot in this trip. He definitely got her to trust him and to be comfortable with him. The only thing he hasn't done yet is making love.

The next day, the power was still out. They opened all the curtains aside for some light. Just in case the power didn't come on, they packed all of their materials. By the time they finished, it was afternoon. The only site they haven't seen is the Eiffel Tower. Hand in hand, they walked down the wet sidewalk in the cold city. They sat down watching the tower as it turned to night and drinking hot cocoa. By night, all the lights were back on, and the city never looked lovelier.

"Ready to go back?" Darien asked Serena as he wrapped his arm around her waist.

She was still watching the tower with a smile. "No, it's really beautiful. I always wanted to come here on a honeymoon or something. I don't know why, but I can't stop staring at this beautiful tower."

He hesitated but asked quietly. "Well...we could make this a honeymoon if you wanted, you know?"

She turned to face him. "Exactly what are you suggesting?"

He took her hands in his and looked into her eye. "Will you give me the honor of making love to you?"

"What! You mean, you want to--?" She was shocked at what he was saying.

"Yes." He nodded.

"Here!" She asked.

"Well, not really in public, but back at the hotel, yes." He smiled.

"Now?" Oh God, what was she going to say? Her mind was running wild.

"Well, preferably tonight, yes if we want to do it in Paris." He grinned. "So, what do you say?" His eyes were pleading her. If she said yes, his life would be perfect, but if she said no, then he would be rejected once again.

Serena didn't know what to say. These past five days were the best days of her life. Her dream to come to Paris had come true because of him. Her wish to be loved and to be understood by someone had come true because of him. He showered her with many gifts and with his love. She bit her lip looking up at his eyes and then at the Eiffel Tower standing brightly beside them and then back at him. She nodded quickly. "Yes."

He quickly grabbed her and kissed her deeply. _Oh, Thank you God_. He was finally able to make love to the girl he loved. He kissed her many times and grinned. "I love you, sweetheart!" He kissed her once more.

"I love you too." She grinned back at his shocked face. It was the first time she said that to him. He grinned and excitedly walked back to the hotel. He didn't want to waste any more minute. He wanted her, and nothing was going to stop him. That night, they made love more than once. They both never felt so complete in their lives. It was wonderful feeling as they connected body and soul. They never wanted to be parted from each other again. They were in love with each other, and that love made them want each other more until they were exhausted.

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So, how was it? Were you disappointed? Did you want more steamy scenes? Are you confused?

**Please tell me what you think of this chapter and what you want to see:) I write my chapters to make you happy. That's my duty as a writer of COL. So, please tell me. You can insult me if you want. I really want to improve my writing. Please, help me. Thank you:)**

- Izuno


	7. Chapter 5 v 2

What's going on here? Didn't I just update yesteday? Well, yes, but a lot of my readers were disappointed from the previous chapter. They wanted a more steamier slow version. In this chapter, I included more information about their honeymoon. It shouldn't be too rated M, but just to be safe, it will rate this T & M.

I'm very sorry for disappointing you. Hopefully, you'll like this chapter. If you don't, I'm sorry. I don't know what else to do but to move on with the story.

I wrote this chapter differently than the first version. So, for those of you who want to read it, thank you for taking the time. I'll still keep the first version online because some of you liked that sweet Darien. Hopefully, the majority of my readers will like this chapter.

**Very Important!**

**If you choose not to read this version, then at least read the bold partsat the end of the story. I will continue the next chapter with this version's ending.**

Disclaimer: COL is all me.

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Colors of Life  
Chapter 5 version 2  
Rating: T, M

Color: White- The color of matrimony and of love

The next morning, Darien woke up earlier than usual. He was hoping to see Serena in his tub again, but no luck. He sighed and took his shower. He noticed his laundry wasn't done yet. He only had a white t-shirt and blue workout pants. Serena probably hasn't gotten to do the laundry yet since she needs to play with Elizabeth and needs to fulfill other household duties. He wore what he had in his closet and walked down to the kitchen to grab some breakfast.

Before he entered the kitchen, he heard some noise coming from the laundry room. Did he have a burglar in his house? He quietly walked over and peaked in. He saw a person hunched back with its head inside his dryer. He also noticed long smooth legs. The burglar either was gay or was a woman, or it was Serena. But Serena doesn't wake up this early so he didn't think it was her. Isn't it almost daytime? Who in the world would want to steal something at this time?

He heard a few words from the person with a female voice. Something about a hook and a hole? It sounded like Serena. He quietly walked behind the person. It was Serena with her hair tied up in a sloppy bun bent over with her face in the drying machine. He was surprised that she awake at five in the morning, but he was shocked to see what she was wearing. She had on a negligee. A maroon silky negligee that came to her mid-thigh showing off her wonderful body and curves. And she wearing it behind his back!

He stood behind her with his arms folded on his chest waiting for her to notice his presence. She growled once more and stood straight to take a deep breath. Her back was killing her, and she closed her eyes as she stretched to relax her muscles. Accidentally, her hand bumped into his shoulder, and she jumped back gasping. "What are you doing here!" She faced him with her arms on the laundry machines.

He gasped mockingly. "Never mind that. What are you wearing?" He turned the topic around and glared at her. "How long have you been wearing negligees? I thought you don't wear those."

She was stuttering. "Uh...I don't usually wear these. I didn't have any other night clothes. I promise I'll put it back." She held her hands up in defense. "But they're comfy to wear when you're cleaning or in a hot area."

"Normal people wear tank tops and shorts when they're cleaning. You were these?" He chuckled. "What are you doing here this early?"

"I need to finish laundry. I didn't have time while taking care of Elizabeth so I woke up early today." She answered.

"Why were you poking your head inside the dryer? Is that your way of drying your hair or something?" When he asked that question, she quickly closed the dryer's door.

"First of all, you can't do that. At least, I don't think you can. Second of all, I'm not doing anything." She giggled nervously. "Why don't you go eat breakfast? I'm sure you're hungry."

He eyed her suspiciously. "Move. I'm not leaving until I know why you were poking your head inside the dryer. What's in there?" He pushed her aside and opened the door. He looked inside and then at her. "Are you serious?" He laughed. Inside the dryer, his white boxers and her lacy pink bra were stuck together in one those holes in his dryer.

"I've been trying to get my bra hook out for the past thirty minutes. It seems to be stuck on your...yeah." She admitted. She was beet red. She never wanted him to see her undergarments.

"What, can't say the word 'boxers'? Your bra is more important than my boxers?" He asked as he tried to unhook both of their undergarments out.

"That a Victoria Secret bra!" She yelled at him. "I need that bra! That's like the only one that fits perfectly. I could care less about your boxers since you have so many of them already. It's not like you have to worry about your boobs getting bigger like me!"

He looked at her and grinned. "Oh, they got bigger?"

She blushed once more and slapped his face back into the dryer. She couldn't believe she had said that out loud. "Shut up and unhook my bra."

He sighed. "Perfect words but wrong situation, sweetheart."

Her jaw fell when she realized what he was saying. "Would you shut up and stop being dirty?" She tapped him in the head. "It's too early in the morning."

"Hey, I didn't say anything dirty! You're the one using words like 'boobs' and 'bra'. And you can't even say the word 'boxers'." He defended himself. "Why? Are you getting dirty thoughts about me?" He whispered huskily.

She sighed and leaned down beside him. "Did you get my bra yet?" She reached in to grab her bra when he held his boxers.

When she tried to stand up straight, he held her down in the same position. "Nice size." He whispered in her ear. She quickly covered her negligee over her chest. "Believe me. In this outfit, you're definitely giving me dirty thoughts." He nipped her ear slightly. He stood up straight with a grin as she glared at him. "You can keep this too. Keep it as a memoir of this situation. I don't need ripped boxers." He draped it over her shoulder. "I'm going to go eat breakfast. See ya later, sweetheart." He spanked her lightly. Before he left the room, he turned around. "Oh! If you ever need me to unhook anything, call me." He winked and left.

Darn men! He was playing games with her just like he said he would back at Andrew's house. She scowled at the thought of him, and then, looked at her pink lacy bra. At least, she got her bra safe and sound. She grinned and returned to work. She started another load of laundry while she ironed the clean clothes. She entered Darien's room to place his clothes in the closet. Suddenly, two arms wrapped around her waist. "AH!" She screamed beating his arms to get it off her. She felt herself thrown in the air and on the soft cushioned bed.

She looked at Darien on top of her and glared. "You idiot! I thought you were an intruder!" She pushed him aside trying to return to work, but he pulled her on top of him.

"You're very adorable, you know that?" He grinned. "And very sexy in this outfit." He kissed her lightly on her lip.

"That's nice to know." She gave him a big fake grin. "Now, let me go. I need to get back to work. I have a lot of things to do." She whimpered when he held onto her tightly refusing to release her.

"Yeah yeah yeah. I heard everything already." He sighed. "God, can't you be romantic with me for even one minute?"

"I can when I want to be, and I don't want to be right now." She tried to get off him and failed.

"Prove it." He smirked as he held onto her hips tightly.

"Excuse me?" She furrowed her eyebrows.

"I dare you to spend a week alone with me. No chores. No Elizabeth. Just you and me alone together in a big city." He lifted his eyebrows questioning her. "Are you on?"

She looked at his facing considering whether to do it or not. She smirked. "You got yourself a deal, Mr. Shields." She brought her face closer to his tempting him as if she was going to kiss him. "You're not the only one who can play games around here."

He grinned loving the proximity of their bodies. "Great. One condition." He saw her questioned. "You already accepted so no backing out. Every time we're alone together in a room, you're going to be wearing nothing but your negligees." He grinned wickedly.

"All right. Let's shake on it." She stood up across him and shook his hand. "Oh, can I choose the city?"

"Not a problem with me. Go ahead. It doesn't matter where we are. I'll still make you want me." He smirked.

"Right." She rolled her eyes. "Let's go to Paris." She grinned. "I always wanted to go to that city ever since I was little."

He smiled still holding her hands in his. "All right. I have a penthouse there so it's no problem. Let's leave the day after tomorrow. That way the house employees won't have to come to work only to find out they have a week off." He grinned. "Deal?"

She smiled and shook his hand one more. "Deal." Before she could return to her abandoned work, Darien pulled her hand and kissed her deeply crushing her body to his.

When she protested, he moved back a little and purred. "This is a game of seduction. And I'm not going to lose." He fell on the bed with her never breaking away once. He kept sucking on her lip and asking for entrance with his tongue. She opened her mouth to breathe, but he took complete advantage of that situation. She moaned when she felt his hands rising up her sides. He rested his head on her shoulder trying to collect his breath from the intense kiss. "Wish you hadn't accepted now?" He kissed her neck.

"No, I never back down from a dare unless it's life threatening." She stroked his hair. "Save the love for later. If we're going to Paris in two days, I really need to finish some work around here." She saw him roll beside her.

"Go. Before I change my mind." He grinned. She finished placing his clothes in the closet and left. Darien was so happy. He was planning on asking her if she would go on a trip with him, but one thing led to another and somehow, she accepted. He was glad he didn't have to worry too much about where, when, or how to take her. He was planning to seduce her, but he still wanted to know more about her. Unlike his relationship with Mina, he wanted this relationship to have more than just sex.

The next two days rolled by very fast. Darien spent most of his time with Elizabeth. During workdays, he only spends a couple of hours with her every night, but he missed his daughter. He had been so caught up with work and with other things that he barely spent anytime with his daughter. This gave Serena more time to finish her household duties and to pack her bags for Paris. Whenever Serena was with Elizabeth giving her a bath, feeding her, or putting her to sleep, Darien stayed in his office trying to track down Mina.

He was very excited about his trip to Paris with Serena, but he also wanted to get a divorce from Mina. He had Andrew drop them off at the airport saying their farewells to Elizabeth and to Andrew's family. Before they knew it, Darien and Serena were on their seven to eight hour trip to Paris.

"Excited?" He asked as Serena looked out the window before closing the screen.

"Somewhat. Yes. I've never been to Paris." She grinned. "I've always wanted to go there. Something about Paris just attracts me."

"Get some rest now. It'll be daylight by the time we reach there. So, as soon as we get to Paris, we'll freshen ourselves and look around the City of Love." He tapped her hand. She nodded yawning. The past two days, she has been running around trying to make sure everything was clean and neat. Plus, plane rides made her extremely sleepy.

"Can I sleep on your shoulder? I can't sleep straight." She asked pushing their armrest away. She snuggled closer to him and hugged him as if he was pillow. Even though she had said she would sleep on his shoulder, she was sleeping on his chest with her arms over his shoulder. He chuckled at her. She probably has never been in first-class plane ride. He reclined both of their chairs and rolled her beside him.

They reached Paris around seven in the morning. Darien called a taxi to go to the penthouse. Serena was still sleepy when they reached the penthouse. As soon as she got to the house, she fell on the couch demanding that he let her sleep. If she was too tired, she wouldn't be able to enjoy Paris fully.

Five hours later, she woke up on a comfortable bed. She looked around dazed. Where was she? Where is Darien? Where were her belongings? "Darien?" She called out as she got up from her bed.

"Good Afternoon, Sleeping Beauty." He walked to her in a cream turtleneck and dark blue jeans with his glasses. "Ready for Paris now?" He grinned as he rubbed her upper arms.

She nodded weakly. "Where are all my stuffs? I'll go get ready." He pointed her to the bathroom where he placed all of their clothes. While she took a shower, he went back to his laptop. He was having a video conversation with Andrew about a lead he had on Mina. After a couple of minutes, Serena poked her head out of the bathroom. "Hey, Darien. How should I dress?" She had her towel wrapped around herself.

Darien quickly mumbled something to Andrew and closed his laptop. He didn't want Andrew to hear or see anything. "You could be naked, and I would still enjoy it." He grinned.

She glared at the dirty man. "I'm serious."

"So am I." He placed his laptop aside and walked over to her. "Put on something to keep you warm." He pushed her bangs away and winked. "I'm leaving for lunch in ten minutes so hurry up."

Serena stepped out in a baby blue sweater and khakis with her hair down. She wore very little makeup and jewelry. She quickly stepped out of the house wearing her jacket. They both walked over to a nearby restaurant. Serena held onto Darien's hand. She was afraid to lose him since he walked faster than her. Probably because he was a foot taller than her. If he wasn't with her, she would be lost. "Darien, slow down!" She ran to catch up with him. "Isn't this building so pretty? Oh! That one too! And this one!" She pointed to almost all the buildings they walked by.

"Don't point. You're acting like a little kid." He chuckled. He had meant this as a joke, but she was hurt. Her parents always used to say that to her. Stop acting like a little kid. She let go of Darien and walked slowly behind him quietly. They were all right. She did need to grow up. She needed to let go of the fake reality she lived. She needed to stop thinking she was Mina and Darien was her husband just because they lived together for a couple of months. She needed to get back to college. Instead, she was wasting her time in Paris.

_Pathetic._

_Simply pathetic._

When Darien realized Serena wasn't by his side, he turned around to look where she went. She was a block away walking slowly toward him. He noticed her dull sad appearance and ran back up to her. "Hey, what's wrong?" He panted when he reached her.

"Nothing." She pushed his hand aside walking ahead slowly.

"I don't believe you." He held her by the shoulders and made her look at his face. He saw tears in her eyes. Why was she crying? Did he do something? "Why are you crying?" He hugged her.

"Darien, let's just go back home. I don't want to be here anymore. It's wrong. I shouldn't be here in Paris with you. I shouldn't be living with you. I want to go back to college. Please, take me home." She cried on his chest.

"Why? Don't you like it here? We just got here!" He tilted his head to see her face. "Don't you like living with me?" His voice was breaking. "I-I love you. I can't let you go." He kneeled down to talk to her.

"You're wrong. You don't love me. You love Mina. Not me." She wiped her tears away.

"No, you're wrong. Listen to me." He held her arms and demanded her attention. "Right now, the girl I love is the girl standing in front of me. I don't care who you are. I love you, and I do not want to be parted from you ever. Sweets, no guy in his right mind would leave the girl he loved." He explained. "So how can you expect me to let you go?" His eyes pleaded her to understand him.

"If you love me, why won't you trust me?" She held onto his shoulder. "You betrayed me when you were sleeping with a maid behind my back, and you didn't trust me when I was trying to protect Elizabeth."

"I can assure you that I did NOT sleep with that maid. During those days, I was desperate for you. I wanted to spend time with you, but you refused to let me come near you. You wouldn't love me back. Then, on that night, she just slipped in and offered what I desired. That doesn't make what I did right, and I'm really sorry. I did fire her that night. Also, I apologize about that night of the party. When I was yelling at you, I didn't know what happened. How was I supposed to react? You had just threatened to castrate one of my big clients. The next day, I broke all connections with him. It hurt him more than it hurt me." He apologized once more. "Have I hurt you any other times? I promise you I would never intentionally hurt you." He cupped her face.

"Why do you always call me Mina? I told you many times that my name is Serena. I tell you I'm not your wife, and you still call me Mina. It's like you don't even listen to me. You either call me Mina, sweetheart, or sweets." She moved away from his grip.

"Would you like me to call you Serena then? I'll call you whatever you want as long as you are with me as my wife." He walked beside her. She nodded. "All right then. I'll call you Serena." He grinned. "Shall we go eat our lunch?" He held his hand out for her, and she grabbed it.

Darien was really happy he could call her Serena. Even though he knew the truth about her, he was afraid to tell her because she might demand him to let her go like she just did a couple of minutes ago. He couldn't do that. He wanted to spend his life with her. Was that so wrong? He had to fight the urge to call her Serena many times. Now, he was really glad he could use her real name.

Serena walked along watching all the buildings. They were all extremely gorgeous, but her mind was somewhere else. She kept thinking about why she wasn't fighting against him to prove she wasn't his wife. She was a little upset that she couldn't finish her college degree, but now that she thought about it...if she was to get married in the future and have children, she would be a housewife for the first couple of years of her children's lives. She loved children and wanted to be beside them for every single moment. Their first word. First burp. First everything.

Darien was offering her a life of a loving marriage. He gave her the opportunity to be Elizabeth's mother. If she was back in college, she would never have known what it feels to be in love and etc. After all, this style of living was only temporary. She remembered the phone call she received from Mina months ago. Mina should be finished with her personal "business" soon, shouldn't she? Serena planned to make the most of this married life. Once Mina comes back, she would have to leave and would return to her old college days to become an engineer. In the end, she experiences many things she never expected to know. It was all thanks to Darien.

She stopped walking until Darien stopped to look at her again. Before he could say anything, Serena pulled his lips on hers. He was shocked at first, but he gave in letting her deepen the kiss. She shyly let her tongue explore his mouth and dance with his experience tongue. He pressed her head closer to kiss her back. When she moved away, he came back down on her with a couple of butterfly kisses. He grinned as he stood up straight and opened the door to the restaurant. "Trying to seduce me?" He winked. "We could go back to the house, if you like."

"Why?" She furrowed her eyebrows. She was cold and hungry. She didn't want to go back.

"To continue what you started." He grinned wickedly. He stepped inside after her.

"No, I'm finished." She smiled and turned to the host. "Hi, can we have a table for two please?" Apparently, the host didn't understand English quite well. Darien spoke in French and ordered some food for both of them.

"We're in the outskirts of Paris so many people might not speak English." Darien explained. "You could still see the Eiffel Tower from the penthouse. I came to Paris on a business trip and loved the food they have here. I also made a friend, but I don't see--" He was interrupted.

"Dare-rien!" A loud deep voice with a deep French accent called out. Both Serena and Darien turned around to that voice. "Dary, I havez't zeen you in a many yearzs." He held his hands out.

Darien grinned and hugged his friend. "Darcy, I missed you too." Darcy had dark curly hair with cream-ish skin. He was a little plump but was very friendly. He was the wearing the restaurant uniform. He was the cook.

Darien and Darcy began to talk rapidly in French. Serena's eyes went wide. She felt completely alone in this foreign country. She saw the waiter come by with their food. She used the only French word she knew. "Merci." She grinned. She learned Spanish in high school not French. She happily dug into her food.

"Serena, this is Darcy." Darien laid on hand on her shoulder. "He was the friend I was talking to you about." She stood up and shook hands with him with a smile. They began talking rapidly in French again and once again, she returned to her food.

After awhile, Darien sat back down. "Sorry about that. I take it that you like the food." She nodded. "Do you know what we were talking about?"

"Elephants flying?" Serena guessed jokingly.

"Funny. No, he was suggesting I take you home to entertain ourselves in an intimate activity." She blushed when she realized what Darien was saying. "He told me to throw you over my shoulder if you refused and to have my way with you." He drank his soup.

"Oh...what are you doing to do?" Serena was afraid to ask. Is that all men talk about? Don't they have lives!

"I am..." He looked at her face with an evil smile. "I am going to pay this bill, take you shopping, and show you Paris." He winked. "I can have my way with you anytime."

"Sure you can." She rolled her eyes. "Let's go shopping!" She grinned.

After a couple of hours, they were carrying many bags. Darien had bought Serena shoes, dresses, purses, make-up kits, and many outfits. She also chose some collared shirts, suits, sweaters, and pants for him.

Darien stopped walking beside Serena and stared at the store. "Hey, Serena! Let's go in here." He grinned and ran up couple of steps to the entrance. "It's your favorite store!" He had a big cheeky grin on his face.

Serena stared at him confused and stood at the bottom of the steps. Her favorite store? How would he know what it was? She looked up at the store name. Her jaw dropped. Was he serious? Victoria Secret! He wanted me to go shopping for bras and panties with him!

"Nuh uh! No way!" She shook her head and walked backwards away from the store.

"Come on, it'll be fun!" He laughed as he pushed her into the doors. "Besides, you can't go anywhere without me." She was blushing hard after they gave their bags to the front counter. She rushed into make-up kits and into loungewear. Darien pulled her into the bras and panties section and into the sleepwear section. "You said you needed some." He reasoned as he laid his head on her shoulder. "So, what's your size?" He whispered seductively into her ear.

"I am NOT telling my bra size." She moved his head away from her shoulder. He was right. She did need some. She looked around for some undergarments away from him. She pretended as if he didn't come with her. She did not know him. He was a stranger to her.

"Hmm, looks like I'll just have to guess." He rubbed his chin and started looking around for some bras and panties. He failed. He couldn't guess. Everything looked big. He snuck up on her, grabbed one of her bras and looked at her size. "What you do think you're choosing?" He placed all of her bras back to where they belonged. "If I'm going to see you wearing bras and panties, then at least let them be sexy." He grabbed some bras and panties he liked.

She followed him with her mouth wide open. "Who said you're going to see my undies?" She glared at his back. He wasn't listening to her. He was thinking whether he should buy a black set of bras and panties. It was a black padded bra with black lace surrounding the cups.

"Hmm... Go try this on for me." He handed her the set. Was he serious? "What are you doing standing there? Go now." He pushed her into the fitting room. Of course, if customers tried intimates on in the fitting room, they had to buy it. Darien paid it. He could care less if he wasted a couple of bucks.

"I am NOT stripping myself and showing you my undies." She glared at him.

"You are." He threatened. "If you don't, I'll gladly undress you and put this on you at the house. I can't guarantee that other things won't happen."

She growled and closed the curtain. Without a choice, she wore the intimates. She never wore anything so...sexy. She was shy to look at herself in the mirror. "I'm finished. Now, I'm going to change back."

"What? No! You can't do that. Let me see." He pleaded.

"No!" She barked.

"Just a peak." He whimpered.

"No!" She yelled.

"Pretend it's a bikini!" He suggested. He looked around him and made sure no one was near him. He quickly jumped inside the room and closed the curtains.

"Oh my God!" She quickly wrapped herself with her clothes. "What do you think--" He pinned her to the wall with his body and kissed her silencing her screams. He sent shivers down her spine with his tongue. His hands rolled over her bare skin and tickled her near the border of her panties. He moaned when Serena's hands slipping into his hair, and she kissed him back. All thoughts of logic slipped as Serena pressed him closer to her. Her clothes that she used as shields against Darien slipped and fell to their feet like a puddle.

Darien gave her slim waist a little squeeze before traveling up to her bra line. He broke apart from her mouth and wondered down to her throat nipping, sucking, and kissing her. He slid down to her neck. One of his hands was trying to move her bra strap away as he kissed her collarbone while the other tried to unhook it. He pulled away when he realized he was near her chest and they were almost about to make love. He looked at her face filled with desire. He looked at her body. She was perfect. "It's wonderful." His voice came out hoarsely. "I-I'll go get some sleepwear for you and check out everything." He turned away quickly and closed the curtain.

Oh God, what had he almost done? It was supposed to be a small kiss to silence her, but it turned into something much more. How can he control himself for the next six days? He couldn't deny his attraction for her. He was afraid that his relationship with Serena would be the same as it was with Mina. He didn't want it to be only sex. He needed to talk to her tonight and to get to the bottom of this.

Serena was taking deep breaths to calm her down. They almost had sex! In a fitting room! In Victoria Secret! In Paris! Oh God. She hugged herself trying to warm herself up. She missed Darien's body warmth. No, she needed to put on some clothes. For God's sake, she was half-naked. She needed to control herself. What was she thinking when she kissed him back? Argh! She had acted on impulse.

When she came out completely dressed in her new undergarments, she saw Darien waiting for her at the front desk with all of their bags. She avoided eye contact with him. She grabbed her bags and walked outside. It was dark and all the lights were on. "Come on, let's call a cab to take us back home. We'll go out to dinner afterwards." Darien cleared his throat and opened the door for her into the cab.

During the car ride, Serena refused to look at him. She afraid that just one little action will change what happens on this trip. Darien kept staring at her. He didn't like this situation. She was trying to avoid him again. He had to change this as soon as possible. Once they got home, they placed their bags aside and dressed up for dinner. Serena barely spoke to Darien at their house, or their car ride to their restaurant, or during dinner.

"Come on, we're walking around. We're not going home yet." Darien watched her stand beside his navy blue car. She nodded and followed him. "Do you have anywhere particular in mind?" He asked her.

"I want to see the Eiffel Tower." She whispered.

"All right." He stuffed his hands in his coat pockets. He hated this awkward silence. He was glad when they were at the Eiffel Tower. "Here we are."

"It's beautiful." Serena smiled at the bright lights of the tall tower. "Hey, Darien. I have a favor. Could you bring me here every night? I want to keep staring at it until it's all in my memory."

He grinned and sat beside her on a bench. "All right." He watched the tower. He couldn't see what was so special about it. Sure, it was a wonderful piece of architecture, but not special enough to come every night. If it made her happy, then he'll do it. He looked at her and saw her rubbing herself and her shivering. "Are you cold?" He touched her shoulder.

"N-n-no! Not at all!" She moved his hand away. She couldn't have him touch her. She was afraid she would lose herself in him again.

"Liar." He picked her up, placed her on his lap, and covered her with his open coat. "You're cold as ice. Why didn't you tell me?"

"B-but I'm really fine." She tried protest, but he turned her in his lap and kissed her. It was a small gentle kiss. Her lips were frozen, and he kept sucking on them to warm them up. She tried to move away, but he held her still.

"You're frozen. You're afraid of my touch, aren't you?" He pulled her closer to him to thaw her.

"Darien, I don't want to do something we'll regret." She sighed.

"Like what? Make love?" He asked bluntly.

"Yes." She snuggled closer to him when the wind pick up. "I mean, we're not even married so--"

"Then marry me." He quickly stated.

"What did you say?" She pulled away to look at his face.

"If that's your problem, then marry me." He looked at her for some sort of answer.

"You can't be serious!" She stood up.

"I'm completely serious." He got on one knee and held out a velvet box. "I'll ask you properly, will you marry me?" He opened the box to reveal a golden ring surrounded by platinum and with small diamonds.

She kept staring at him and at the ring with her mouth open. This can't be happening. She noticed people making a circle around them. "Darien, get up. People are looking at us."

"I'm not moving until you give me answer." He stared at her.

"Darien, it's not that simple!" Serena tried to reason with him.

"Forget everything. If you want to marry me, say yes. If not, say no." He was determined to have his answer. "Will you or will you not marry me and become my wife?"

What can she do? He was married to Mina already. So how can he marry her? She would never be his mistress. Everyone was waiting for her answer. He did treat her well today. He bought all the things she wanted. He was romantic with her. She knew she was attracted to him. She wanted him. Before she changed her mind, she screamed out her answer. "Yes!" Darien hugged her in an instant. "Yes. Yes. Yes, I will." His body was so cold. He couldn't feel his body but was it moved the way he wanted it to.

He kissed her quickly on the lips. The crowd applauded and congratulated them in French and in English. He slipped the golden band on her left ring finger. Inside the band, he wrote a small message. If she ever read the inside, she would know that he knew the truth, but right now, she just admired the outside. He lifted her up in the air and rested his forehead against hers. "You're going to keep me warm tonight." He kissed her once more. "I love you, Serena."

"I love you too, Darien." She kissed him once more.

That whole night, they made love. They were finally free. They didn't have to hold their attraction and their desire to be together. They made love until they were exhausted. It was a time for only them. They didn't think about the future or the past. They wished to enjoy the present.

The next day, Serena woke up next to Darien naked and in pain a little after noon. "Good morning." Darien kissed her forehead. "How are you feeling?"

"It hurts. Let's not go anywhere today. I can't walk. My legs are killing me and I'm all sore. I want to spend the day here." She grabbed her negligee from the floor and slipped it on before getting out of bed to wake herself up.

"Do you want me to order lunch?" He asked as he picked up his phone.

"That would be wonderful." She yelled out to him from the bathroom. By the time she came out from the shower, she was hungry and awake. Warm water really did wonders for her on a cold day. She stepped into the kitchen to see the table filled with food. "You know, when I said lunch, I thought pizza. You have a meal for me as if it was from a restaurant!" Serena turned to see Darien in the living room.

"I called Darcy. I told him anything simple would be nice, but I guess, in his dictionary, this is simple." He chuckled.

"God bless him. I'm really hungry and happy to see all this food." She grabbed a plate and started to dig in.

"Maybe it's a good thing we aren't going anywhere. We're suppose to have a big thunderstorm. It's already raining now. It'll be freezing outside." He looked outside.

"A thunderstorm or a lightening storm?" Serena quickly stopped eating and walked over to him. She wasn't hungry anymore.

"I'm watching the news right now." He pointed to the TV.

"Oh God, that's big. It's going to hit us heavy." She furrowed her eyebrows with worry as she saw a red blob run across Paris. Right now, things were in green, which was light rain, but later tonight, it was going to rain very heavy.

"Not fond of thunderstorms?" He asked as he watched Serena's face filled with fear.

"No. Never have been." She shrugged. "Do you have a generator?"

"Have more than one in all of my property in case the other fails." He grinned. He walked up to her and hugged her from behind. "Don't worry. It'll be okay. I'll be with you." He kissed near her eyes.

Darien managed to relax Serena by making her watch movies. On HBO, Sex and the City was on. Apparently, there was a marathon so he was really glad she could watch something to forget about the storm. "I love Smith." She giggled all girly. "He's so cute, sweet, and romantic."

Darien glared at her. "Oh? Is he better than me?"

Serena laughed. "Aww...is somebody getting jealous?"

"Me? Ha! Yeah right!" He laughed. "No, sweets. I know I'm better than him."

"Sure, you are." She rolled her eyes. "You're the bonehead who was proposing to me in the freezing cold only to have sex with me!" She was joking. To be honest, he did ask her permission before he made love to her. She wanted this. She wanted to experience everything in this fake reality.

"Are you blaming me?" He glared at her. "If I remember correctly, you were moaning my name all night even in your dreams."

"I did not." She slapped his side jokingly. "You just wish I did."

"I'll make you remember my name for the rest of your life!" He turned off the TV andpinned her under him kissing her.They slept together once again until they were exhausted and fell asleep. **After a couple of days of traveling around Paris and lovemaking, Andrew called Darien at his penthouse.**

**"Hey, Andrew." Darien grinned. He has never been so happy in his life. He has been bonding with Serena. He learned a lot about her, and they were very comfortable with each other. His life was perfect!**

**"Uh...Darien." Andrew hesitated.**

**"Andrew, is something wrong?" Darien asked concerned.**

**"Come back home." He quickly stated.**

**"What? But I still have three more days." Darien protested. "What happened?"**

**"Just come home." Andrew pressured him. "It's an emergency." With that, he hung up.**

**Darien kept looking at his phone troubled. He had jinxed himself. He saw Serena coming out of her shower in her new negligee. Serena noticed him worried over something. "Darien, is everything okay?" She walked over to him.**

**"I don't know." He whispered. "It was Andrew. He wants us to return immediately." He rubbed the stem of his nose near his eyes to release some tension. "I'm sorry. I promised you a week."**

**"Well, we better hurry then. We've seen most of Paris anyway so no problem." She grinned and started packing. Hopefully, nothing too bad happened. Both Serena and Darien were worried. They didn't know what was wrong, and they couldn't stop thinking about it. Did something happen to their house? To their company? To Elizabeth? So many questions ran through their head as they took their flight back home.**

* * *

So, how was it? Better? Worse? Is Darien still a sex pig? Was it rushed? Wierd?

**Please review! I want to know if my readers are still interested in this story or if they think this plot is going downhill. I learn and improve my writing skills from your reviews. So, please guide me. This is my first fanfic, andI really want to make sure my readers enjoy it.**

**Ask questions! What did you think of this version? Tell me if you are confused and what you're confused about. Tell me anything! Please, I love reading your reviews. They always bring a smile to my face. :D **

**For those of you who do review all the time, thank you taking the time to review:) It's because of you that I'm able to write this story. :D I love ya all! **

- Izuno


	8. Chapter 6

Ok, I think something is wrong with I tried to update the story like five hours ago, and it didn't. Now, I can't add the bars or ruler on the page like I used to. Or maybe, it's my computer. Anyway, we'll have to compromise. :)

Thanks again for wonderful reviews: KiwiKol, ffgirlmoonie, Meatballheadedprincess14, sereNendy, Chrissienuil, LynGreenTea, Sunny38, supersaiyanx, Bunnicula03, Serena-and-Darien-4ever, Silver Moon Goddess1, serenity11287, nancy n, Zenetusken, ruinosekai, iibebe x chinkii, celticas, niki88, Lunadoragon, Kris Black, Kana07, Chibi J, moonqueen, Usagi Tenou, Angel715, navz, Moonlight Shadow Angel, PaulitaDani, arjeta, & li zhen-zhen.

Q&As:

From 5 v 1:

1) is there gonna be mina drama?

Answer: It depends on your definition of drama, but Mina does appear in both this chapter and the next. :)

2) what about her friends?

Answer: I won't leave them behind. :) And they really couldn't call Serena since they didn't know the phone number. Serena understand why they can't call.

3.) when darien is gonna tell her the truth and call her serena instead of mina?

Answer: Most likely in the upcoming chapters. :)

4) since they aren't divorced and Mina realizes that he fell in love with Serena what will happen? what will go wrong? will she try to get custody of Elizabeth just to stick it to them? will she even  
have a chance?

Answer: All of your questions will be answered in this chapter. :)

From 5 v 2:

1) is mina back?

Answer: Yes. :)

2) what does andrew want?

Answer: You'll find your answer in this chapter. :)

3) does Darien have a checklist?

Answer: Interesting question...but I guess you can say it that way. He's a businessman. He always made checklist for everything, but in Paris, he wanted to accomplish some things before heading home. So, I guess the answer is yes, he does in his mind. :)

Interesting fact: One of my reviewers asked why Serena persuade Darien that she wasn't Mina after she had sex. After all, she was a virgin, and it's a fact that girls bleed. I can't answer this question now, but I will in the next chapter. :)

Many of you liked the sweet romantic and kinky Darien. I'm sorry for making my chapters corny. I guess I need to find a balance between sweet romantic and kinky. Many of you wanted more steam, and I'll try to get that as possible. Once again, to those who were disappointed, I'm sorry. :(

Disclaimer: COL is all me.

**Warning: I put curse words in here. Sorry if that offended you. :(**

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Previously on COL:

_After a couple of days of traveling around Paris and lovemaking, Andrew called Darien at his penthouse._

_"Hey, Andrew." Darien grinned. He has never been so happy in his life. He has been bonding with Serena. He learned a lot about her, and they were very comfortable with each other. His life was perfect!_

_"Uh...Darien." Andrew hesitated._

_"Andrew, is something wrong?" Darien asked concerned._

_"Come back home." He quickly stated._

_"What? But I still have three more days." Darien protested. "What happened?"_

_"Just come home." Andrew pressured him. "It's an emergency." With that, he hung up._

_Darien kept looking at his phone troubled. He had jinxed himself. He saw Serena coming out of her shower in her new negligee. Serena noticed him worried over something. "Darien, is everything okay?" She walked over to him._

_"I don't know." He whispered. "It was Andrew. He wants us to return immediately." He rubbed the stem of his nose near his eyes to release some tension. "I'm sorry. I promised you a week."_

_"Well, we better hurry then. We've seen most of Paris anyway so no problem." She grinned and started packing. Hopefully, nothing too bad happened. Both Serena and Darien were worried. They didn't know what was wrong, and they couldn't stop thinking about it. Did something happen to their house? To their company? To Elizabeth? So many questions ran through their head as they took their flight back home._

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Colors of Life  
Chapter 6  
Rating: T

Color: Blue- The color of loss and of tears

"Andrew will be here shortly." Darien glanced at a nearby watch as they waited in the front of the airport near their terminal. "He wanted to pick us up personally."

"What about our bags? Don't we need to get our luggage?" She asked with only a purse as she sat down waiting for Andrew.

"No, our driver will pick them up and drop it off at the house." Darien sighed as he sat beside her. "I wonder what happened. Damn Andrew, he won't say anything!"

"Relax. Don't worry too much. Have hope that everything will be all right." She patted his hand on his leg. He held her hand in his for support. To be honest, she was so worried. She tried to think positive thoughts, but at times like these, it was really hard. She was scared. She had no idea what happened, but she could tell it was bad. Her heart was pounding so fast. It was hard for her to breathe normally. The air around them felt tense and still.

"Ah! That's Andrew. Come on." Darien rushed to the car. It was obvious he was also worried. He didn't know what happened. Was it their company? Did something happen to it while he was gone? Or what it his house? Was he robbed or was it burned down? Did Mina come back? If she did, wouldn't that mean his Serena would leave him? So many questions ran through his head, and he was frustrated that Andrew wouldn't explain anything!

After Serena sat down inside, Darien entered the car. He quickly held the passenger seat, where Andrew was sitting, to ask Andrew what the emergency was. It had better be worth leaving his honeymoon! "Andrew, tell me what happened now!" He demanded.

"Driver, go back to where we came from." Andrew quietly ordered before looking at Darien. "Put your seat belt on. Don't want you to hit your head."

"Who cares about the stupid seat belt!" Darien did so anyway furious at Andrew.

Serena simply looked at Andrew. He looked very troubled and depressed. Was it Reika? If it was, wouldn't he call her parents? But why would he ask for Darien and Serena? Did he want support? The more Darien questioned Andrew, the more Andrew looked away from Darien. Serena was able to see his face still. He was on the verge of crying. She saw tears in his eyes, but he quickly wiped it away.

"Andrew, I swear to God I will kill you if you don't tell me what happened!" He growled as he clenched the passenger seat's headrest. He would never hurt his best friend, but he was enraged. He still didn't know anything, and he hated not knowing anything. Leaning back, he glared outside the window frustrated. He noticed the car heading towards the city hospital. "Wh-why are we going to the hospital! We don't have any reason to come here!" He clenched Andrew's seat again.

"It's Elizabeth, isn't it?" Serena asked Andrew concerned as Andrew slowly turned to face her. "Something happened to Elizabeth." The more she thought about Elizabeth hurt, the more trouble she had breathing. She knew it. She tried to deny it at the airport, but she couldn't any longer. For some strange reason, she knew it.

He weakly nodded. "I-I-I'm sorry. This may seem childish of me...but I don't want to say it. If I say it, then...that would mean I believe it. I don't want to believe it...Not yet. I'm not ready." A tear slipped down to his cheek. His voice was shaky.

Serena had a lump in her throat. She couldn't breathe well. It was bad. It was going to be really bad. She was going to be hurt. She knew it very well as she quickly ran inside the hospital when the car stopped. It was like a tsunami approaching her, and she just stood waiting for it to hit her. It was going to wreck her body, mind, and spirit leaving her as an empty soul.

When she was heading towards Information Desk, she heard someone call her name, or the name that she had become accustomed to for the past couple of months. She turned around to see Reika calling her outside a nearby room. She sprinted to Reika and panted when she caught up. "Where is Eli--" She looked inside the room and her heart stopped. The tsunami had flooded her.

Serena stepped into the room dazed. The room was filled with beeping monitors surrounding Elizabeth. On the white bed laid Elizabeth with so many tubes in her body and with a big bandage covering her whole head. On the right side of Elizabeth's head was a big red stain...blood. All she could do was stare. What happened to her? How did this happen? She was perfectly fine four days ago.

Darien had entered the room right after Serena. He was frozen at the doorway. He never expected anything to happen to Elizabeth. After Serena had concluded that something happened to Elizabeth, he still didn't expect this. What happened to his daughter? He was afraid to touch her. She looked too fragile with many monitors and many tubes. She's just a two-year-old. She shouldn't be dealing with this.

He watched Serena leaning over Elizabeth. It cracked his heart to see the two women he loved the most hurt. Seeing them broke his heart. He wanted to cry, but he reminded himself that he had to be strong for both of them. He turned to see Andrew leaning against the wall outside the room hugging a crying Reika. He took a deep breath to calm his nerves and walked over to them and asked "What happened to her? How did this happen?"

"Mr. Shields, you're finally here. Isn't your Missus here?" Darien saw the doctor walking towards to him with Elizabeth's chart.

"She's inside." He shook hands with his family doctor.

She nodded and walked inside with Darien behind her. "Mrs. Shields. Haven't seen you in awhile. Remember me? Dr. Michelle Tenou?" She offered her hand for a shake, but when she saw how distraught Serena was, she withdrew. "Would you like to talk in my office about your daughter's condition or here?"

"Here. I'm not leaving her side." Her voice was rough. Serena didn't look at the doctor. She kept staring at Elizabeth. She gently brushed aside Elizabeth's hair soaked with sweat and blood off her skin. Her heart was breaking. She loved children, and she never expected to be in a situation like this ever. She wanted to cry at the site of Elizabeth. Serena felt a lump in her throat as she tried to hold down the tears.

"All right, I'll call Dr. Haruka Tenou to the room to explain the situation clearly." She disappeared for a minute. Darien, Andrew, and Reika came inside and sat on the couch waiting patiently on the opposite side of Elizabeth.

"I-I'm sorry. It's my fault." Reika whispered in between her cries. "I-I-I should have been watching over her." She stuttered. Her whole body was shaking in fear.

"Tell me what happened." Serena dully looked up at Reika. Reika wouldn't have done anything careless. She's not the type of woman to do that.

"I was in the living room knitting." Reika sniffed and wiped her tears. "Rebecca and Elizabeth were running around playing. Before I knew what happened, Rebecca was screaming. Elizabeth had fallen down the stairs and was unconscious. I rushed to her side and had the maid call Andrew and take Rebecca away while I took Elizabeth to the hospital." She was sobbing again. "I-I'm so sorry. You told me to look after her, and I-I...Oh my God!" She cried on Andrew's shoulder. Andrew tried his best to soothe her as he rubbed her back and her arms.

"It's okay." Serena weakly comforted Reika. "You're not at fault. What happened happened. There is no use trying to blame anyone. It's not anybody's fault." She looked at Elizabeth lying with her eyes closed. She looks as if she's sleeping. Please, let her be just sleeping.

"Mr. and Mrs. Shields and Mr. and Mrs. Sniper, this is our neurologist, Dr. Haruka Tenou." Michelle introduced Haruka as she stepped in.

"Hello, everyone." Haruka smiled. "Let's get straight to business." She took out an x-ray picture and placed it on the lighted screen. "You all know that she injured her head, and you see this dark area here on her brain?" She circled the area with a pen without touching the screen. "That's the damaged part of Elizabeth's brain." She looked around making sure she made eye contact with everyone. "Because she's just a toddler, her brain isn't as strong as ours. Therefore, it inflicted more damage than it would on adults. When the brain is damaged, it loses oxygen in that infected area. Low level of oxygen in tissues is known as hypoxia. Hypoxia can cause unconsciousness, which is your daughter's current stage. I'm extremely sorry to say this, but to put it bluntly, Elizabeth is currently in a coma."

Serena's eyes widened at Elizabeth. She was losing Elizabeth. Elizabeth was a daughter that she never had. She can't lose her "child." No...this can't be happening. The more the doctor spoke, the more it broke her heart. How can just falling down the stairs cause all of this? She listened as Michelle spoke. The lump in Serena's throat was hurting her. It was getting harder for her to not cry.

"Of course, there are other factors involved. Elizabeth was anemic. Because of lack of blood to carry the oxygen to the tissues, overtime it grew into anemic hypoxia, which is what caused her coma." Michelle continued explaining slowly. "Mrs. Sniper, you said that the children were both running around playing." Reika nodded. "We believe that when she was running, she was losing oxygen in her body to the point where she fainted near the stairs and fell down. After she fell and hurt her head, that's when things became more critical because the brain lost more oxygen resulting in a coma. If she had fainted on the floor on an even ground level, she would have woken up after a couple of hours."

Elizabeth was anemic? Serena didn't know that. Elizabeth was perfectly fine in her eyes. Serena made sure to cook all nutritious food for her and everything. The lump in her throat was becoming unbearable, but she didn't cry yet. There is still a chance for her to survive. She can't cry yet. Not yet. She told herself to not cry in front of others. She hated to cry in public.

"So, what's going to happen to her?" Darien cleared his throat and asked. His daughter is in a coma. In a coma. Coma. He couldn't think of anything else. Coma. That word kept repeating in his head. He was losing his daughter. He was losing the only descendent of the Shields family. He had to be strong. He had to have hope. Damn it! It was too hard. He knew his daughter was anemic, but that was when she was born. She was fine by the time she was one year old. How was he supposed to know that she would get anemic again?

"We don't know. All we can do is monitor her. It's her choice if she wants to wake up or not. Unfortunately, the damage can't be repaired. We have given her a supply of oxygen and of blood. Of course, that'll only make her have a normal blood level. It's completely up to Elizabeth. Usually, coma patients result in complete recovery to death. We're sorry. We can't do anything even if we wished." Haruka apologized.

"Visitors, visiting hours are over. I repeat. Visiting hours are over." The intercom sounded.

"So, what you're saying is that there is a possibility that SHE CAN DIE!" Serena yelled out and looked at Haruka. Her eyes were filled with tears pushing down to her cheeks and dropping from her chin. She clenched her hands on the white bed sheets. She was mad and sad at the same time. She was mad at herself. She should have seen it. She was completely blind only focusing on Darien and on herself. How could she have been so selfish? Because of Serena's stupidity, a child was going to lose her life! More tears drops pressed down her chin trailing her neck.

"Yes." Haruka slowly agreed shocked at Serena's outburst. "But there is also a chance that she might recover. It's all up to Elizabeth."

Darien had never seen Serena cry ever. He knew that she had cried that day in the bathroom, but she didn't cry in front of him. He stood up from his spot on the couch near Haruka and walked towards her. He had to comfort her. "Sweetheart, let's go home. It's been a long day." He stood beside her. "We'll come back tomorrow." He placed his hand on her shoulder.

She flinched and slapped his hand away. She clenched her jaw and glared at him still teary eyed. "I'm NOT going anywhere! I'm staying beside her. I'm not leaving." She shook her head as she spoke taking a quick short breaths. Her face was flushed. "Go get her books! She loves it whenever I read to her. Even though she falls asleep, I know she enjoys it. She can still hear us. I know there are times when coma patients can hear us even though they don't move." She sat on the side of the bed wiping the sweat and the sticky blood on Elizabeth with her handkerchief.

"It's okay. She can stay, but only one person per visitor. She's right. Coma patients can hear us at times even though it's only a little amount of time. It might persuade her to wake up." Haruka explained. Her beeper started calling her. "I'm extremely sorry, Mrs. Shields. I pray for your sake she'll wake up. I'm afraid I have to excuse myself. The OR is calling me, but talk to my sister, Michelle. She'll provide you with your needs." Haruka explained before turning to Michelle. "Contact me if there is any emergency." Michelle nodded, and they both left.

Andrew sighed and stood up. "I'll take you home, Darien." He nudged his friend who was frozen to the ground.

Just a couple of hours ago, he had both Serena and Elizabeth. They all loved each other, and everyone was safe. Now, he was losing everything. His daughter is in a coma, and Serena had rejected his touch. He had lost everything they created in Paris. Her heart was closed, and he was back to square one. He couldn't think about this now. He had to save his daughter. "I'll be back soon with her materials. " He kissed her forehead. She gave him no reaction and no emotion as she kept looking at Elizabeth. She was like a dead body with no movement. Every now and then, a tear slipped from her eyes.

Reika hugged her from the behind and gave a slight squeeze. She too didn't receive anything. Everyone left leaving Serena alone and drove in silence to Darien's house. No one knew what to say. They were all in their own little world far from Earth. They didn't know what to say. What happened was terrible and they all wanted to gain strength again. When they reached Darien's house, he sighed and exited the car. "Thanks Andrew for contacting me." He tried his best to smile. "I better hurry back to the hospital." With that, he walked inside his house.

His house was too quiet. No one was inside except for him. He missed hearing Serena laughing and Elizabeth squealing. They made the house so much livelier. It felt empty and cold regardless of the fact it was the beginning of December. He sighed and turned on the sound-activated lights and went to Elizabeth's room. He looked around and gathered all of her books. He had no idea what was her favorite book. He couldn't believe he was her father who didn't know much about his daughter. He became too obsessed with business and with Serena that he didn't spent that much time with Elizabeth. He wished more than anything that he spent more time with her. He saw Elizabeth's favorite teddy bear, the bear he got her when she was born. He hugged it for a couple of minutes for comfort before leaving the room to return to the hospital.

Serena made Elizabeth more comfortable by tucking her in the bed sheet. She sighed and kept looking at Elizabeth's face. She didn't know what to do. Because of her immaturity, Elizabeth was hurt. She prayed to God. _You have to wake up. For my sake, please wake up. I promise I'll try to be a better mother. Don't leave me like this. Please God, help me. Don't let her die._ A bottom lip started to quiver, and she broke down again. A bright flash interrupted her thoughts. Was it God? Did God come to answer her? She turned around to the doorway and saw a crowd with notepads and cameras.

"Who are you all? What do you want here?" She furrowed her eyebrows trying to wipe her tears quickly.

"Excuse me." One of them pulled out a notepad. "Is she the daughter of Darien Shields?"

She nodded. "Who are you?"

"Mrs. Shields, could you explain what happened to your daughter?" A lady pointed a microphone at her.

"Mrs. Shields, how do you feel?" "Mrs. Shields, where is your husband?" "Weren't you in Paris?" "Is Elizabeth going to be all right?" "Is it severe?" "Mrs. Shields, have you lost weight?" "Could you tell us your secret?" "How do you feel living with Mr. Shields?" "Is he good in bed?"

She was lost. What was going on? Is this the paparazzi? So many flashes...so many questions...she was getting a headache. She held her head trying to soothe her mind. People were pushing inside the room to take more pictures of her and of Elizabeth. What was this? Everything was happening so fast. She became frustrated. She became mad.

"Get out!" She pushed everyone out of the room and closed the door behind her. "Get out of this hospital! For God's sake, this is a hospital! My daughter is sick in the hospital! Don't treat her as if she was a specimen at the museum!" She pushed more people back glaring at everyone. They ceased their questions and photos. "HOW WOULD YOU FEEL IF SHE WAS YOUR DAUGHTER! WOULD YOU WANT TO BE PHOTOGRAPHED AND QUESTIONED WHEN YOUR DAUGHTER MIGHT BE DYING! WOULD YOU! GET OUT! OUT! Aren't you ashamed of yourself? GIVE US OUR DAMN PRIVACY!" She yelled out. "If you come back here trying to question my family, I swear to you I will hit you with anything I can get my hands until you leave." She threatened them.

Darien had come inside still upset carrying the teddy bear and the books when he saw a crowd near Elizabeth's room. He rushed to see if something had happened to Elizabeth, but he saw Serena in the middle of the crowd. "Sweets, is everything all right?" He stood by her looking at the crowd concerned..

The crowd moved to question him and started taking photos. "OUT!" Serena grabbed a nearby chair and held it above her head ready to slam them. "Don't you dare approach him!" She moved in front of him and glared. "Don't look at me as if I was a mad woman! I have every right to protect the privacy of my family! I have every right to be emotional! Get lost before I actually hit you."

By the time she finished talking, the nurses had come around to push the crowd away. They didn't hear Serena talking. She had spoken loud enough to not disturb the rest of the hospital. Once they saw Serena with a chair over her head, they rushed over to see what the commotion was. Darien stood behind her baffled. He didn't know what was going on. He kept seeing a new side of her. Of course, he didn't know if he ever wanted to witness this anger. Once everyone left, she slowly put the chair down and turned to Darien.

"What are you looking at?" She glared. He smiled at her. "You have nothing to smile about. Did you bring everything?" She opened the door and looked at Elizabeth to see any improvement. Nothing. She saw nothing.

"You're a very interesting woman." He followed her. "Yeah, I have everything. I didn't know what books she likes so I brought all of them. I also brought her teddy bear and some food and materials for you. I'm sure you're hungry. Here is an Italian Sub, water, oranges, and a small bag of M&Ms, all your favorites. I also brought your pajamas if you feel like changing, toothbrush, toothpaste, and facial soap." He placed all the bags on the counter next to the sink. He turned towards her and stood a foot away from her. "I can't stay for long. The security guard will come after me if I don't return soon." He explained as he stroked her hair. "Will you be okay here?" He held his arms open waiting for her to come into his embrace.

She stepped forward and hugged him tightly around his waist. She dropped her head on his chest and nodded. "Yeah, I'll be fine. Thanks for your help." She took a deep breath and stepped away.

"I'll be back in the morning as soon as possible, all right? If you need anything else, don't hesitate to call me regardless of what time it is." He smiled and stepped closer before pressing his lips against hers. It was a gentle kiss not out of lust but out of care. He wanted to comfort her. He wanted comfort for himself from her. She pressed him closer and returned the favor. He pulled away and smiled. "I'll see you tomorrow, Serena." He opened the door and walked off closing the door behind him.

She sighed and looked at the sleeping Elizabeth. "It's just you and me tonight." She smiled. Was she going crazy? She knew that Elizabeth won't reply back, but it was too quiet. She looked through all the things Darien brought. "It's looks like Daddy has brought a lot of things. Look, he brought Bear." She showed her the teddy bear. She knew she was literally talking to herself since Elizabeth couldn't answer, but she didn't care. She was in that state of mind where she is in denial. She doesn't believe Elizabeth's in a coma even thought she has tubes attached to herself and has monitors around her. "I'll put him next to you." She moved her arm slightly and placed in under her underarm. "Daddy also brought some books for you. Do you want me to read your favorite book, Cinderella?" She giggled and started reading.

She read many of Disney stories to her like Aladdin, Cinderella, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, Beauty and the Beast, Little Mermaid, and Finding Nemo, and for each character, she made a different voice laughing and apologizing to Elizabeth for stopping and continued. By the time she finished reading all the Disney books, it was near midnight and she was hungry. She took a break and started eating next to Elizabeth.

"I hope you don't mind me eating. I'm really hungry." She stuffed her mouth with the sub. "If you wake up, Mommy can give you some too, you know?" She stopped eating after she heard her own words and placed her sub aside. She had lied to Elizabeth again. She washed her hands and sat back down. "You know, I need to tell you something very important. I've been lying to you ever since the first day I met you."

She cupped Elizabeth's hand in hers and caressed it. "You see, I'm not literally your mommy. I don't know where your real mommy is. Your mommy's name is Mina Spears. My name is Serena Lionheart. Your daddy brought me to be with you because he thought I looked like mommy. I'm actually a college student." She looked up Elizabeth's face. "Do you know what college is? Well, you turn four or five, you go to school to make friends, and you learn. It all depends on how much you want to learn. College is the last part of school for me. I lived with my two best friends in an apartment. If your daddy didn't bring me here, I would have become an engineer."

She kept looking at their linked hands. "I was afraid to be your mommy. I didn't know if I could do it. I mean, I'm only twenty-one. I didn't know how to be a mommy. So, I had the cooks and the maids play with you. Did you have fun playing with balls? I thought of what was important and how I would raise my own child. I hope you liked me. I hope I have given you your morals and your manners. Of course, you're just two so it's okay. You still have a long way to go. As time went by, I really loved spending time with you to a point I considered you as if you were really my baby girl. I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner. I was afraid I would hurt you. Even thought I'm not your real mommy, I love you as a mommy would love her girl. I don't know why or where your real mommy went, but I didn't want you to have a childhood unlike me. I wanted you to be loved and spoiled for the time being. When I was your age, I don't remember much, but when I was near your age, my mommy wasn't with me. She would hit me and tell me to grow up. Don't be a kid, Serena! She would always say that to me. I don't think she wanted me. That's why she always pushed me away every time I came near her. I didn't want that for you. I wanted to be there for you every time. I wanted to love you, to comfort you, to play with you, to laugh and cry with you. I want to be your real mommy. That's why I went to Paris with your daddy. Did you have fun playing with Rebecca? I hope you did. I want to be your mommy, sweetie. I want to see you grow up to be a beautiful girl. We both have the whole life ahead of us."

She looked up at her face again. "So please don't die on me. If you didn't like me being your mommy, I'm sorry. I'll try harder to make you happy. I promise. I really do love you, baby. Wake up. Please...open your eyes, Elizabeth. Open your eyes for me. Open your eyes for daddy. Daddy is really worried about you. I know he doesn't play with you much, but he tries. He's trying to get money for you. He loves you too, dear." Her mouth started to tremble as tears pricked her eyes. "I-I-I don't know what to do. You're breaking our hearts, baby. You're making us worry." Tears pushed down from the corners of her eyes. "We want you to be with us. Don't leave us. Don't leave me. I want you with me. When I see you like this, it hurts me. Wake up please...I beg of you. Open your eyes for me..." She was sobbing and she spoke between taking short breaths and sniffing. "I-I-I'm sorry for lying to you. Forgive me. I'm sorry...for not playing with you in the beginning. I really didn't mean to hurt you. Please, forgive me...open your eyes. I promise to love you, to comfort you...to play with you, and...to do everything that is safe and legal. Wake up, baby...for me, please wake up."

She looked at her face. "I really do love you, baby. I love you more than anything or anyone else in the whole wide world. Do you want Daddy here with you? Do you want to hear him talk?" She wiped the tears and the mucus from her face and blew her nose. "I'll go get him for you." She walked out of the room and went to the nurse station looking for Michelle. The hospital felt deserted and cold, but she still saw some people walking around. She hugged herself trying to keep warm as she stopped at the nurse station. The nurses told her where her office was, but she wasn't on call that night.

"Um...can I please have my husband come here and stay with our daughter? She wants to be with him." She pleaded with a brunette nurse.

"How do you know? Isn't your daughter in a coma?" They asked skeptically positive that Serena was lying.

"She told me." The nurse scoffed. "Please...if this is our last moment we have with Elizabeth, we have to try everything we can to convince her to wake up. I think hearing her dad's voice might help. Please, try to understand. I just came from Paris for our anniversary to find out my baby girl is lying in the hospital in a coma." Tears welled up in her eyes again. "I don't want anything happening to her. If being with her dad helps, then please can he come?"

The nurse softened after hearing her story and seeing her tears. "All right. He can come." She sighed. "I'm such a sucker for sad stories. You chose the right nurse to persuade. I'll notify the security guard." She smiled and walked away.

Serena took out her cell phone, which she got in Paris from Darien when he found out she didn't have one. He thought it was crucial to have a cell phone, and he was right. She called the house and waited for him to pick up. After the third ring, he picked up. He cleared his throat and answered. "Hello?"

"Hey, it's me." Serena quietly stated as she walked back to Elizabeth's room.

He was immediately awake. He sat up on his bed. "Yeah, are you okay? Is everything all right? How is she?" He asked concerned.

She hesitated for a minute. She didn't know how to say it. She didn't want him to think of her as weak, but she wanted support. Elizabeth needed Darien as well. She reminded herself that this was for Elizabeth. "Come here. I want you here...with me." Her voice was rough and she was tired.

He smiled. "I'm on my way. I'll be there in ten minutes." He quickly put on some khaki pants and a navy blue turtleneck, washed his face, and brushed his teeth. He gathered some food from the kitchen and ran to start his car and to accelerate down the street. He was happy. She trusted him. She wanted him. The time they spent in Paris did have an affect on her. It didn't just fade away when they returned home. Just like he promised, he was at the hospital in ten minutes. He went past a different security guard and rushed to Elizabeth's room. When he quietly opened the door, he saw Serena lying with her head down on her hands on Elizabeth's bed. Elizabeth didn't show any improvement. She looked as if she was sleeping peacefully.

When Serena heard the door open, she looked up to see who it was. She tried her best to smile. "Elizabeth." Her voice was coarse from crying. She cleared her throat. "She wanted to talk to you." She stood up to take the bags he brought. "Talk to her. She wants to hear your voice. She misses you. She wants her daddy back."

Darien became concerned as he listened to Serena. Her eyes were red. He guessed it was probably from crying. He saw the trail on her cheeks. He knew she wasn't in the right state of mind. He felt as if she had gone insane, but decided to go along with it. "All right, I'll talk with my baby girl. I haven't talked to her for a long time. You look tired. Why don't you sleep for a while? Take the couch." He suggested.

"I will. I am extremely tired. I haven't slept for almost a day." She yawned. "I wonder why...because _somebody_ had to keep me awake all night." She glared at him teasingly before she laid on the couch.

"You know you enjoyed it." He grinned trying to keep it decent as he grabbed a chair. He remembered their time in Paris. It feels as if it was so long ago. He didn't want to think about Paris. He loved it, but right now, he had to focus on his daughter.

"Wake me up in thirty minutes. Otherwise, I will not be happy. I want to spend time talking to Elizabeth." She made herself comfortable with the blanket that Darien had brought.

"I will, sweets. Sleep well." He kissed her forehead and saw her breathing heavily. She was knocked out. He grinned and looked at Elizabeth. "Your mommy is very tired. She is out like a light." He laughed and pushed his chair closer to Elizabeth. "How are you, baby-doll? Can you hear me?" He looked up at her face as he held her hand in his. "I never expected to see you like this. You were always happy and smiling every time I saw you. Even as I came back into town, I never expected you would be the one hurt. You're so precious to me that I thought you would always be laughing and smiling. I know I haven't spent much time with you lately after Mommy came here. I had to think about work and many things to keep the family going well. I've said this to you every night before you went to sleep or every time I saw you, and I meant it. I love you, baby. More than anything else in the whole world. I love you." He played with her fingers. "Are you mad at Daddy? Don't you want to open your eyes to look at me? If you wake up, I promise to spend more time with you. I promise to take you to parks and to all of the places you love. I'll give you ice cream. Of course, Mommy has to accept first." He chuckled and looked at Serena. "Hey, baby, I have to tell you something. I don't know if Serena has said this to you, but she's not your real mommy. At first, I thought she was, but as I watched her over time, I realized she's not. It was an accident, but do you like her? I know she's not your real mommy, but I think she loves you more than your real mommy would. The real mommy didn't like children much, but this mommy loves you. She loves you very much, baby. I love you more, of course. I know you might not believe us, but just give us another chance. We'll love you the way you deserve to be loved. Wake up, please...for your future's sake, for my sake, and for this mommy's sake. I'll spend more time with you. Of course, I still have to work so that I can buy all the toys you want. Wake up, baby-doll, wake up. You're the only baby-doll I have. I want you with me. I _need_ you with me." He sighed.

It was a couple of minutes before two in the morning. Like he promised, he tried to wake up Serena by shaking her. He knew she was a deep sleeper. He gathered some water in a cup from the sink and sprinkled it on her face making her stretch and rub her eyes. "What's going on? Is it raining?" She asked sleepily.

He chuckled. "Yes, it's raining inside the hospital." He replied sarcastically.

"Hospital?" She questioned. Then, she was wide-awake. "Elizabeth!" She rushed to her side on the bed. "How are you, baby? Did you like talking with Daddy? Sorry, I fell asleep. I was very tired." She smiled as she lovingly caressed her arm. "Do you want to do something with both of us? Let's see...what can we do? We don't have a ball or anything. We could read all the books again, and let Daddy be the hero. Do you like that idea?" She grinned and clapped at the idea. "Let's see..." Looking through all the books for a good book that she knew Elizabeth loved. "Well, we could do Beauty and The Beast again. How about it? Let's do that, k? I'll go wash my face quickly."

Serena splashed cold water on her face. She missed hearing Elizabeth's voice. As she grew older every minute, she became more and more worried and desperate. Doubt and fear had invaded her brain. What if she never wakes up? What if Serena can't hear her voice anymore? What if Serena can't see Elizabeth smiling and playing joyfully? She trembled at her thoughts. She had to have faith. She can't think negatively. She threw more cold water on her face to wash away bad thoughts.

Darien noticed Serena's fear and her denial. Even it pained him, he was ready to accept the truth. If Elizabeth was to die, he would grieve but would remain functional. He had dealt with death before when it claimed his parents leaving him as an orphan. He had cried countless of times, but he knew he had to move on. He doubted Serena ever lost a loved one her life. He laid on the couch with the book waiting for her patiently. When he saw her return, he grinned wickedly. "I am the beast now?"

She tied her hair up in a bun and replied. "Yes." When she saw Darien sitting up with his legs across the couch, she didn't know where to sit or how to make this work. "Where am I sitting now?" She pouted. The couch was warm and cozy. She preferred it to the chairs.

He put his hands on her waist and tugged her to him. "You, my dear sweet Belle, are sitting here." He placed her in between his legs and held the book in front of her with his hands on her shoulder. "I plan to have fun with this, you know." He whispered in her ear and slightly nibbled on it nuzzling his face into her neck.

She blushed as she felt his kisses. She was afraid Elizabeth or someone would catch them in this position and come to wrong conclusions. He refused to let her go and brought her closer to his body. "I'll be Gaston too." Darien whispered in her ear. Serena began reading trying to ignore his proximity. She was used to it, but still, she didn't think this was the appropriate time.

**AN) Key: Italic- story. Gaston- Darien. Belle- Serena. Bold- Serena is narrating.**

_Belle: "Gaston, what a pleasant...surprise."_

_Gaston: Isn't it though? I'm just full of surprises. You know, Belle. There's not a girl in townwho wouldn't love to be in your shoes. This is the day...**He pauses by a mirror and**_

_**licks his teeth clean. **This is the day your dreams come true. _

_Belle: What do you know about my dreams, Gaston?_

_Gaston: Plenty. Here, picture this. **He plops down in the chair and props his mud covered**_

_**feet up on Belle's book. He begins to kick off his boots and wiggle his toes through**_

_**his holey socks.** A rustic hunting lodge, my latest kill roasting on the fire, and my_

_little wife, massaging my feet, while the little ones play with the dogs. **Belle is really**_

_**disgusted. Gaston gets up next to her face. **We'll have six or seven._

_Belle: Dogs?_

_Gaston: No Belle! Strapping boys, like me!_

_Belle: Imagine that. **She picks up her book, places a mark in it, and puts it on the shelf.**_

_Gaston: And do you know who that wife will be?_

_Belle: Let me think._

_Gaston: **Gaston corners Belle. **You, Belle!_

_Belle: **Belle ducks under his arms.** Gaston, I'm speechless. I really don't know what to say._

_Gaston:** He pushes everything in his way and traps her against the door.** Say you'll marry_

_me._

_Belle: **She reaches for the doorknob.** I'm very sorry, Gaston, but I just don't deserve you. _

_**She tw--**_

"Like hell you don't." Darien barked shocking Serena. He was fuming. He slammed the book shut, and gathered her in his arms. "Excuse us, Elizabeth. Mommy and Daddy need a little time alone. We'll be back soon." He closed the door behind him with a stunned Serena in his arms, swiftly walked across the hallway to a lounge, and locked the door after entering. He threw Serena on an empty bed.

"What is wrong with you? We can't leave Elizabeth!" She tried to get down, but he pushed her back down.

"What is wrong with me! You and that story!" He threw his hands in the air furious. "That whole scene felt as if it was you and me! Of course, I don't expect you massaging my feet, but I couldn't help feeling as if you were speaking from your heart. Serena, what is your real dream?" He asked gently as he placed his hands on her lap.

"Darien, it's just a story." She sighed. "We've got to get back to Elizabeth." She sat back up trying to reach the floor, but he leaned in on her and sandwiched her between him and the bed.

"You're not leaving until you tell me." He looked intently in her baby blue eyes. He clenched his jaw in determination.

"My dream?" She leaned her head back on the bed and thought. "I always wanted to become an engineer." She simply stated. She couldn't let him see her eyes. He would know instantly that she was lying. She couldn't tell him her real dream. It was one of her secrets. She never told her real dream to anyone.

He considered that answer as a potential dream, but he knew she had wanted to become an engineer. Did he ruin her happiness when he refused to let her attend college? He wanted to look into her eyes. She could never hide anything from him. Her eyes were the doors to her soul. Each and every emotion always flashed through her eyes. He pulled her chin down and rested his forehead on hers. "Will becoming an engineer make you happy?" He quietly asked.

She closed her eyes and answered. "Yes."

"Liar." He knew she was lying. "Tell me the truth. What makes you the happiest? Look me in the eye and tell me." He kissed her jaw line.

She opened her eyes slowly and looked at him. "I can't." She looked away letting his head fall on her neck. "I won't tell you. I never told anyone, and it's a dream I'm trying to erase. I don't want to believe in that dream ever." She pushed him away and stood on the floor. "But to answer you question, I was at my happiest when I was in Paris." She quickly smiled and made a run for the door.

Of course, Darien was faster. He trapped her to the door, spun her around, and leaned down to brush his lips against hers. "I love you" He muttered before deepening the kiss. A tear slipped down Serena's face unnoticed by Darien. She was going to get hurt. She knew it well. Even though she hated to admit it, this was her dream. Living with a loving husband and a wonderful child was her dream, but the husband and the child didn't belong to her. A dream she wanted to forget because it was a dream she couldn't claim. It wasn't hers. Everything was Mina's. She let him kiss her fully as she tried to hold down her cries.

The more he pressed his body closer and the deeper he kissed, the harder it become to hold her tears. She was reminded repeatedly that this didn't belong to her. She was going to get hurt. Her lips quivered as she was on the verge of crying. Darien was absorbed in her sweet taste and moaned when he felt her trembled with desire and passion, or so he thought. He remembered their time in Paris and wanted to make love to her again. He didn't care that he was in a hospital. He wanted her. Before he could proceed with his intentions, a loud ringing sound pulled him away.

Serena, unfazed from desire, quickly opened the door, and sprinted to the source of that sound. Her heart skipped a beat as she neared Elizabeth's room. She ran in to find Elizabeth's heartbeat decreasing at an increasing speed. Her body began to tremble. What should she do! Think! Think! THINK! Her mind wasn't running no matter who hard she tried. She just stared with her whole body trembling in fear wide-eyed at Elizabeth. The tsunami was rising again. The nurses quickly rushed in with a big machine. Darien chased after Serena and entered the room after he realized the situation.

"Code Blue! Code Blue! Code Blue at 1 North!" The intercom yelled.

Tears pricked her eyes as she stared at Elizabeth and gasped when she heard the dead tone of Elizabeth's heart and saw the flat line of her heart on the monitor. The head nurse charged her pads ready to shock Elizabeth back to life. "Ah!" Serena flinched bringing her hands to her head as she watched Elizabeth bounce on her bed. Darien quickly wrapped his arms around Serena ready to support her. He closed his eyes and turned away not wanting to see his daughter suffer like this. Serena clung onto Darien's shirt as her body shook in fear and whimpered every time she heard Elizabeth's body bounce. After the third shock, the nurse quit trying. The only sound in that room was Elizabeth's dead heartbeat from her monitor.

The head nurse cleared her throat and stated roughly "Time of death is 03:15."

Serena screamed and launched herself onto Elizabeth. Serena was on the bed holding Elizabeth in her arms. "Don't do this to me, baby. Wake up. Wake up for me. Please, baby. Wake up." Tears were spilling freely from her eyes. "Wake up...I beg of you. Wake up. God, please don't do this to me. Baby, come on, baby, come on. Open your eyes...for me. Open your eyes. Don't do this to me." She screeched and sobbed holding Elizabeth to her chest. "Why?...Why did you go? After I all I said...after I all I promised...why did you go? Why didn't you wake up?"

The nurses turned off the monitors, disconnected all of Elizabeth's tubes, and left them to grieve. Darien felt his insides turn again as he saw the scene in front of him. Without realizing, tears pushed down his eyes at the loss of Elizabeth. He took a deep breath to calm his nerves. He had to arrange the funeral. He got his phone and called Andrew. He went outside shutting the door behind him and waited for Andrew to pick up.

He leaned his head against the wall, and tears spilled from the corner of his eyes again. After the fourth ring, Andrew picked up. "Hello?" He asked heavily as he tried to wipe his sleep away.

After a moment of silence, Darien replied. "She's gone..."

Andrew instantly woke up and sat up from his bed. "I'm- I'm so sorry. I'm on my way." He hung up quickly to get ready. Reika insisted that she come along as well.

Darien waited outside not wanting to enter the tragic scene inside the room. He could hear her weeping faintly through the door. He tried to stop his tears, but couldn't help crying. He lost one of the precious women in his life. Elizabeth was one, but Serena was the other. He had to protect. He didn't want to lose her ever. He had lost enough in his life! First, his parents. Then, his family and relatives. Now, Elizabeth. Serena was the only thing he had. If he lost her, there would be no reason to live. He couldn't lose her.

"Darien! Darien!" He heard people calling him. He turned and saw Andrew and Reika running towards him. "I'm so sorry." Tears spilled from Reika's eyes as Andrew hugged his grief-stricken friend. "Where is your wife?" He pulled away from him.

"Inside." He replied in a low voice.

Reika opened the door and stepped in cautiously. She saw Serena lying beside Elizabeth and crying into the pillow near Elizabeth's neck. She took a deep breath and walked over. "You have to get out of that bed, dear. Come on." She pulled Serena, but Serena hugged Elizabeth close to her.

"No! I refuse." She flinched at Reika's touch. "I'm not going anywhere. I-I'm staying here." She squealed as a new set of tears flowed out from her, and she pushed her head into the pillow. After Reika failed many times to persuade Serena out, she decided she needed help. There was only one person who can get her out of bed. Darien...

Andrew told Reika to check on her as he calmed Darien down. He dragged Darien to a nearby bench and sat down to comfort him. "Darien, you have to calm down. You've dealt with death before. This pain is nothing new. I understand you want to grieve, but right now, you have to take care of some things. Serena needs you more than ever." Darien nodded as he agreed with Andrew, shuddered as he found a new batch of tears, and hunched to let his tears fall freely. "Come on, Darien. Get a hold of yourself. Wasn't it you who said men don't cry? You have to be strong." Andrew patted Darien's back.

"Andrew!" Reika ran over to them as she called over to him. "I need your help. It's Serena."

Darien's head shot up at once afraid something had happened to her. "What happened to her? Is she okay?"

"Yeah, nothing happened to her." She reassured Darien. "She won't leave Elizabeth's body. She's lying beside Elizabeth crying and holding onto Elizabeth as if her life depended on it. It's not healthy." She said worriedly.

Darien closed his eyes and took several deep breaths trying to get control of his emotions. He had to be strong. For Serena. She needed him just like Andrew said. He opened his eyes when he found his strength and swiftly walked back towards the room. He opened the door to see Serena crying with her hand and leg over Elizabeth's body protectively. He walked to her side and gently tried to pull her to him. "Serena, come on. Let's go." He calmly said. He felt her body stiffen under his touch and pulled her harder. "Serena, get up!" He commanded.

She smacked his hand away. "I'm not going anywhere! You can't make me!" She sniffed in the pillow. "Leave me alone! I'm not leaving Elizabeth." Her mouth quivered and cried again.

He concluded he had to remove her by force. Otherwise, she won't move. He clenched his jaw and tried to gather her in his arms like before. "Ah! What are you doing! Let go of me!" She tried to escape his hands as she moved closer to Elizabeth and hugged her tighter. She shrieked "I said let me go!" She turned and quickly slapped his face. She only realized what she had done after she saw her hand sting in pain and a red mark on Darien's cheek.

His head moved to the right side as she slapped him. He felt his cheek tingle in pain. He glared at her sideways more determined to have his way. He saw her sitting up in awe with her hand she had used to slap with him up in the air. He quickly grabbed her hand and hauled her over his shoulder. "Ahh!" She screamed and punched his back. "Put me down!" He began walking to the door after making sure she was secure in his arms. "No! No! Elizabeth! Don't take me away from her! Darien! Please!" She stretched her hands trying to get a hold of Elizabeth even after he closed the door to Elizabeth's room.

"Let's go. Drop us off at our house please. I'll take my car later after I finish everything." He explained to Andrew and Reika who stared at Serena screaming in the hospital and followed them.

"Darien, go back!" She pushed him away and stretched to get away from his grip, but he only tightened his hold on her as he walked to the entrance to the hospital. "No! Darien! Don't do this! Go back! Don't leave Elizabeth alone!" She punched his back as he walked into the cold winter early morning air. Serena shivered at contact with the cold air but continued pounding his back.

Darien sat down in the back of Andrew's car with Serena in his lap. He just held her in his arms as she leaned her head against his chest, hit his chest weakly, and broke into tears again. Darien brought her closer to him and rocked her trying to calm her down. By the time they reached their house, Serena was asleep. He had her arms around his neck, her legs secure on his waist, and her head resting on his shoulder as she slept. He thanked Andrew for all of his help and carried Serena like a big baby into the house. He laid her on her bed before undressing her to put on her nightclothes and tucked both her and him under the sheets. He kissed her forehead and hugged her as he fell asleep after watching Serena for quite a while.

The sound of thunder woke Serena up from her sleep. She opened her eyes confused. Where was she? What happened? She sat up remembering Elizabeth and got depressed thinking about what happened before in the hospital. She looked around to see her surroundings and noted she was in her room again, but was surprised when she found someone looking at her. There was a blonde-haired woman with her right leg over her left in black high-heeled boots with a black dress drinking coffee. "About time you woke up." She smirked and got up from her chair. "I would have woken you up, but you've been through a lot."

"I'm guessing you're Mina." Serena simply stated as she covered her body under the sheets.

"You guessed right, doll." She grinned arrogantly. "Your duty here is over. I wasn't expecting to return this soon, but you really can't control your own life." She sighed as she stood near Serena.

"So, why are you here?" Serena questioned curiously.

"To comfort my hubby of course!" She clapped her hands. "I read the newspaper and learned our daughter had died." Serena cringed listening to Mina's words. "You have done enough. Now that Elizabeth is gone, Darien and I can go back to the old days where we slept together everywhere." She grinned with excitement. "How was Paris?" She sat beside Serena. "I read that in the newspaper as well." She explained after she noticed Serena curious again.

Serena was behind mad. She had only come back to sleep with Darien. Not because she wanted to give her respects to Elizabeth! Of course! The only thing in the world that mattered was sex! "You bitch! I feel sorry for Elizabeth for having you as a mother! It's as if you don't even want her!" She glared at Mina.

"Who said I ever wanted her, dear?" Mina laughed at Serena's stunned face. "I only gave birth to her because of Darien. He wouldn't let me abolish it. Elizabeth was an accident from the beginning." She stated calmly.

"What kind of a woman are you! Why the hell are you here now! So you can screw Darien again and create another mistake! Of course, that's all you do, isn't it? Sleep around as if you're a little whore." She barked out.

Before Serena knew what happened, she touched her throbbing cheek. Mina had just slapped her on her face. "Don't you dare talk about me or my husband! Remember, doll, he's mine. I've known him and had him longer than you. Don't you dare accuse me as a whore! Just what hell do you know about me!" She stood up in anger and paced the room.

"When I married him, I loved him and wanted to spend my life with him. He always satisfied me every time. He had sex with me countless of times all around the house on all types of surfaces. I loved each and every minute of it. But one day, I guess we were so into it that he forgot to wear protection and before I knew it, I was pregnant." She faced Serena. "Serena, I was just married to him for six months. I didn't want a child yet. I wasn't ready to be a mother yet, but I knew he wanted a child so I gave birth to Elizabeth." She shrugged. "Let me tell you that those nine months were a torture. I was craving his touch, his warmth, and his body, but he wouldn't give have sex with me. After I gave birth, I thought things would return to normal like they used to be, but he was always with the baby. He came near me only when I had to breastfeed her. Do you know how hard it was! It felt as if he loved that baby more than me!" She threw her hands in the air frustrated.

"So, I ran away. He chased me down many times, but after he had sex with me, he reminded me of Elizabeth. I didn't want Elizabeth. I never liked her from the beginning. So, I kept running away, and then, I met you somewhere. I had a friend of mine lead Darien to you. That way I knew both Darien and I would be happy and satisfied. I was free to satisfy my need with someone else. I was going to come back, but my partner was so awesome. He too did a wonderful job with me." She grinned at that thought. "I was going to wait a little bit longer before I came here, but after I heard the news, I couldn't help but come back. After Elizabeth's death, I knew Darien would need some love. The love I can offer him so I came back." She smiled and walked back to her.

"I have no use for you anymore. You have a plane in three hours. You can resume your life as a college student. I have convinced your teachers to let you pass their class if you pass the finals. I hope you weren't completely occupied with Darien." She chuckled. "I have all your materials packed and ready to go. Just fresh yourself up and get going." She grinned.

A thunder rumbled through the sky. "Where is Darien?" Serena asked quietly.

She sighed. "He's not here. I think he's at the office trying to arrange the funeral." She explained. "Oh, doll, don't call him Darien anymore. He's not yours anymore. From now on, he is Mr. Shields."

She felt a lump rising in her throat again. She took a short breath and asked. "What about the funeral? Am I not going?" She wanted to pay her respects to Elizabeth.

"Didn't you listen to anything I've said right now? There is no need for you! I'll take care of everything from now." Mina growled. "Take a shower, get dressed and get out of our lives!"

Serena found herself trembling. She stared at the carpet beneath her feet. "You know, you and Darien are perfect for each other." She chuckled. "Both of you got your way with me. I never want to see or hear from him again!" She slammed the bathroom door and leaned against it.

"Good! That way, I won't have to worry about you stealing my husband away from me!" Mina called out.

Serena didn't cry in the bathroom. She was afraid Mina would listen. She didn't see Darien that day. She hoped that she would never see him again. She hated him. She felt completely used. She boarded their private plane one last time and alone, in the air, she cried. To think he had loved her, despicable! He was so low! He found her weakness and used it against her! Why did this happen to her? She had never felt so used in her life. She had given him her heart and her body. He was a wonderful actor! And she was pathetic enough to believe him. Her conscious warned her before, but she refused to listen. She never thought it would hurt her this much.

She cried her heart out in the plane. She wished she could forget. She wanted to forget Darien. Forget Elizabeth. Forget Andrew and Reika. Forget Paris. Forget ever living in Boston. She wanted to forget so badly, but she couldn't. She kept seeing Darien's loving face. His fake loving face.

It was pouring when she exited the airport. She waited for a bus in the rain. It matched her mood perfectly. It was warmer outside than it was in Boston. After all, it doesn't snow much in California. She let the rain wash away her pain. She swiped her bus card, sat down on an empty seat cold and soaked looking through the streets. Memories flooded her of all the fun things she could do with her friends again. She got off at her stop and walked over to her apartment. She stared numbly at it in the rain. She was back. She was finally back.

She climbed the stairs, and with each step, she realized that she was really home. This wasn't a dream. She walked over to her apartment room and rung the bell waiting for it to open. Amy opened the door shocked. Serena saw Raye drop a bowl ice cream on the floor surprised.

She mouth started to quiver. "I'm home..." She squeaked as tears pushed through the corners of her eyes. Amy and Raye rushed to her side hugging and welcoming her back. The rain began to slow, and the tsunami descended...

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So, how was it? I cried writing this chapter. I didn't want to kill Elizabeth, but I had to for the sake of the story. That's why it took me awhile to post it up. I kept delaying her death.

Next week, school starts for me so I don't know how that will affect the story progress. I promise you I will finish this story no matter what.

Read & Review!

- Izuno


	9. Chapter 7

Hee hee...I'm alive! Sorry for not updating for the past six months. School drove me nuts! But because of all of your lovely reviews, I kept writing the story. Hopefully, it will still satisfy you. Personally, I think I lost my writing touch. Tell me what you think.

Thanks for all of your reviews! I'm so glad you all enjoyed COL. I'm sorry I haven't updated in a long time. Also, I would like to remind people that this is fiction. I don't know a lot about many stuff, but I do research a little bit and make sure it does seem somewhat realistic. For example, I don't know any medical stuff. I didn't study medicine! But I have volunteered enough at a hospital to know how it works. So, keep in mind that his is fiction.

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: COL is all me:)

* * *

Colors of Life  
Chapter 7  
Rating: PG-14 

Color: Brown- the color of emptiness and of afterlife.

It was so quiet. Her door was closed and locked. She told Amy and Rei to give her some time. It was so quiet and still in her room. It was so empty. Just her and no one else. Foolish, isn't it? After all, she did tell Rei and Amy that she wanted some time alone. Of course, she's alone...just like she wanted, right?

No...this isn't what she wanted. This isn't how her life was suppose to be. She is alone in her room, but she felt alone alone, if that made any sense. She never felt like this in her life. She never felt like a shell. A body without a soul.

She never felt so empty. Had she become greedy over the past couple of months? Images flooded her senses. Darien...Elizabeth...Paris...Mina! Each image choked her. She was drowning. She couldn't breathe. She felt hot tears escape from her eyes and travel down to the inner shell of her ears. Panting, she sat up from her bed. She was back again. Back to her world. Back to her room. Away from Darien. Away from Mina. But the pain...still followed her like her shadow. More hot tears trailed down her cheek to her chin and down.

The rain kept pouring outside her window. She could hear the rainstorm. It was almost as if the world was crying with her. But how was that possible? How can it understand her pain? No one can. She was a fool. Her friends always called her an idiot teasingly, but they were right. She was an idiot. How could she be involved with a married man? How could she go to Paris and make lo-- get laid? How could she leave Elizabeth? If she had been there for her, she could have lived.

Same questions over and over again! Same thoughts over and over again! When will things ever change? Her life with Darien is over. Mina got her 'vacation' like she wanted. Darien got laid like he wanted. Elizabeth and she were the victims. Elizabeth moved on to the afterlife, but Serena...her heart was broken. This was her afterlife. She had no more dreams. She had no more wishes. Well, she did have one. Her one and only wish was that she'll be able to have everything she needs to get through this life before she could join Elizabeth.

She won't kill herself. No, there is nothing more to break. She was an empty vessel who is going to wander through her life alone. It didn't bother her. She cried so much. She had lived through a lot of pain. Nothing could break her now. She wiped her face once more and blew her nose. A lightening flashed in the sky and shined her ring. Her 'wedding' ring. She looked at it numbly for a couple moments.

She never did admire the ring for its beauty before. It really was very beautiful. Darien picked out a good ring. Darien always had good taste. He knew how to select houses, clothes, jewelry, and women...He picked Mina and that maid. She can't wear this ring anymore. It doesn't belong to her. Plus, if she wore it, how can she move on? She twisted the ring on her finger and slowly lifted it up. But fate wouldn't support her. The ring wouldn't move past her knuckle. She pulled harder, and it wouldn't come. She pulled and pulled, but all of her efforts failed. It did nothing but bruise her.

Determined, she opened the door and went to the bathroom to use soap. She rubbed and rubbed, but it wouldn't come out. But Serena didn't give up. Hearing the water running, Rei and Amy came running from the kitchen to see Serena with messy hair, red face, and puffed red eyes. They saw her frantically trying to remove her ring.

"Stop it! You're going to hurt yourself!" Amy pushed Serena's hands apart. "What has gotten into you?!"

"Nothing! I'm perfectly fine. I'm just trying to remove every memory I have of him and that stupid life I lived with him!" Her lip quivered, and she held up her left hand. "But I can't remove this. He proposed to me! He thought I was a retarded freak who lived in this fantasy world where I wasn't his wife, but he just supported my beliefs just so he could get laid again! He never did believe I wasn't his wife." Her broke down on the floor and sobbed.

"Serena, it's okay. You've been like this for three days now. Everything will work out. Trust me." Rei said softly as she hugged Serena. She heard Serena scoff. "I'm sorry. I really am sorry. This wasn't what I saw with you and him. He is good for you, Serena, whether you believe it or not. Personally, I don't even know why he is, but something tells me he is a big part of your life."

Rei looked for any change in Serena, but she just sat there on the floor looking down. The doorbell rang, and Amy decided to get the door. She came back with Seiya. "Woah, what's going on here? What happened to you, Serena?" She didn't answer. He pulled his pant legs up and sat beside her. He sighed and signaled Amy and Rei to give them some time alone. They nodded and left closing the door behind them.

After a moment of silence, he started the conversation. "So, I heard you lived with this billionaire." He saw tears forming once again in Serena's eyes. "You loved him, didn't you? That's why you're hurt like this. I don't think he hurt your purposefully unless he completely hates you. No guy wants to see a girl cry."

She sniffed. With a cracked voice, she spoke in a whisper. "You're right. He didn't hurt me. I did this to myself. He was so loving and caring. At first, I tried to tell him I wasn't his wife, but he didn't believe me. His wife, Mina, planned everything out. She made sure the blood test failed and everything. I knew it wouldn't last long. I knew I would be back here again." Her lip quivered and more hot tears escaped her eyes. "But I still had hope. That one day, he would realize and love me for me. But now, I lost him and Elizabeth, his daughter. I wonder why Elizabeth had died. Why couldn't it have been me? It would have been better for everyone." She sobbed again.

"Don't say that! What happened to Elizabeth is a misfortune. You couldn't have done anything about it. I read everything in the news. Serena, let's just say you and Darien did get together. What would have happened to Elizabeth? If you and Darien start your life together with kids, Elizabeth might find herself cast aside and not loved. You might not do it intentionally, but it happens. Believe me, I speak from personal experience. Also, they say some patients have the will to live on and actually survive. It is possible that you gave what Elizabeth wanted. I mean, Mina Spears is not a motherly type at all. She should never have kids! Elizabeth might have been hoping for her mother to love her, and you came in." He poked her arm. "Even though you aren't her mom, you're loving to people, and extra loving to kids. You made her happy. So, stop feeling guilty." He took her hand in his and gave it a good squeeze. He noticed her left ring finger bruised. "Ooh, what did you do to yourself?"

She held up her hand. "I was trying to remove this ring. It won't come out."

"Well, keep it on. It looks pretty on your finger anyway." He smiled.

"But I need to forget him." She whispered disappointingly.

"Why? Keep it as a memoir or something. For all I know, he treated you well. So, wear it. But Serena, you need to move on with your life. What happened to that determined ambitious girl I know? You're still a student at Berkeley. You still have your future ahead of you so don't drop everything now. Don't let all your hard work go to a waste." He made her rest her head on his shoulder as he leaned against the tub.

"You're right. We did have good times together. If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't have experienced many things in my life." She kept looking at the ring. "But you know, I don't think I ever want to get married. I don't think I ever want to fall in love again."

"That's understandable." He stroked her hair.

"So, what should I do now? I haven't been here for nearly three months." She sat up straight and wiped her tears.

"The day after tomorrow, Winter break starts. Talk to your advisor about your courses and etc. Also, call your parents. They might be worried. You never know." He smiled. "Feel better now?"

"Yeah." She smiled weakly. "Thanks for your help."

"No problem. Glad I could help. All righty then." He moaned and stood up. "It looks like my work here is done." He helped Serena stand up. "Talk to Amy and Rei. They're really worried about you." He rubbed her arm once more and opened the door. "Oh Serena, if you had died, I would have killed you myself." He winked and left to greet Rei and Amy.

He smiled at Rei and went over to Amy. Rei rushed back to Serena as she watched Seiya and Amy hug and kiss. She looked at Rei and asked "What's going on?"

"We have a lot to fill you up on!" Rei grinned. "They've been dating for a couple of months now." She continued with the details as she led Serena to the kitchen and gave her dinner

* * *

Elizabeth's funeral was over. It was private, and they made sure no paparazzi came in. He spent most of his time in his office at work. He didn't want to return home. He needed to know where Serena was. He needed to gather more information on Mina's affair. He needed to get the divorce papers ready. He couldn't go back to his house knowing Mina was there. 

He needed Serena and her support. He just lost Elizabeth. He can't lose Serena too. After a week, he went back to his house. He had the divorce papers ready and had collected information on Mina and her activities for the past three months. But he hadn't found any information on Serena. It's like she disappeared completely. The only one who would know where she was was Mina.

He stepped into his house, and everywhere he looked, memories of him and Serena and Elizabeth flooded his body. Emptiness and loneliness lurked behind him, and it brought him to tears. Mina entered the room and found Darien tearing up.

"Oh Baby, I'm so sorry about Elizabeth. Don't be upset." Mina hugged a still Darien. "I know what'll make you happy. Why don't I get a hot tub ready?" She whispered in his ear.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Darien growled as he glared at her face. "Where is Serena?"

"Baby, what are you talking about? Who's Serena? It's me, Baby." She cupped his face.

Furious, he ripped away from her hands. "Do you take me for a fool?!" Scared by his uproar, she stepped back and fell on the bed. "What did you do to Serena? Where is the hell is she?!" He glared and clenched his fists. "Don't mess with me, Mina! You don't know this side of me. You've never seen me being completely ruthless. So, tell me! Where is she?!"

Sighing, she admitted. "I got rid of her. She back in San Francisco. We don't need her anymore. I'm back now. We can live our life together like before Elizabeth came." She looked at Darien with hope.

He closed his eyes and growled. "My God, you're selfish! I want a divorce! I can't live with you anymore! Just looking at you makes me sick. Tomorrow, I'll have the papers ready for you to sign, and I want you out of my life forever."

"What?! No! I refuse! Darien, don't do this. Why her? What does she have that I don't?! Darien, I can fulfill all your sexual desires and everything. Don't you remember the times we had hot sex? Don't do this. I won't do it. I will not sign the damn papers!" Mina stood up stubbornly.

"I love her dammit! Sex isn't everything! She showed me that. You cannot make me happy. She-she made me feel complete. My life was complete with her and Elizabeth by my side. I always thought love never existed, but it does! My God, it will make you insane!" He ran his fingers through his hair. "One minute, you are so happy with that person, and the next minute, it'll rip and tear your heart to pieces. I love her. I love her and I want her back!" He looked back at Mina determined to convince her to sign the papers.

"I can make you fall in love with me. I can be what you want me to be. Don't say no to us." She looked at him pleadingly.

"There was no us! You had a damn affair." Her eyes widened. "Don't look so surprised! I found out about you and your screw boy. If we go to court, I will win. After all, according to the public, I was the innocent man who believed he in Paris with his wife." He stepped close to her. "If you do not sign the papers, I will make sure you your family will be living on the streets begging for food. You know, I have enough power to do more than that." He turned back and gave them some distance. "If you behave like a good girl and sign the papers, I will give you five million dollars. That's all you'll get from my pocket. This marriage should have never happened. Maybe you'll find love with that screw boy of yours, but get out of my life. Tomorrow, we're going to court. Sign the damn papers, and I'll give you the check. Tonight will the last night you stay in this house. Good night." He left the room.

As promised, he gave her the check after the divorce was finalized. "You'll regret choosing her over me." Mina glared at him.

"I don't think so." He smirked. "Good bye, Miss. Spears." He left her standing at the court as he hurried to his office.

"Andrew, I need you to look after this business for me. I need to go to San Francisco. Did you find her yet? Is she still at Berkeley? I'll work at the office in Seattle." He barged into his office and took a seat.

"Um...no, she's no longer at Berkeley. We haven't found her yet. Apparently, they checked her apartment, and no one was there. And they asked the owner, and they said that there is no one named Serena living there. I've contacted a private investigator to track her. She is still in San Francisco. She could be going by a different name." Andrew said rubbing his sore neck.

"What? Hmm...fine, I'll go find her myself. I know her better than them, and plus, she could be hiding from them. So, we need to plan. I can't just go chase after her and leave the business. What needs to be done in our office? Thanks for handling everything while I was gone for the past two weeks. With Elizabeth and Serena gone, God! It was hell. I'm so glad Mina is out of my life. So, what needs to be done?" Darien asked getting his reading glasses out

* * *

The next day, Serena said bye to Rei and Amy as they left for their winter break. She needed to contact her parents and her counselor. She decided to call her parents before leaving for her counselors. 

She dialed the number and waited for the phone to pick up. "Hello." A woman answered the phone.

"Mom..." She said weakly. There was no reply. Just silence. Afraid the phone might have been cut, she said more loudly. "Mom, are you there?"

"Serena, is it you?" Her mom replied.

"Yeah, it's me." Serena smiled weakly.

"Why are you calling us? Are you going to ruin our family name more than you already have?" She spoke quick with anger and fear.

"Mom? What are you talk--" She was interrupted.

"Don't say anything! Three months ago, I wanted to know how your classes and everything were going. But you never called me back. So, your dad and I decided to visit you only to find out you were running around screwing some guy in a different city. How could you do this? Do you have no pride in yourself? Is this what you learned from me?! You broke both of our hearts that day. We have no daughter. Our only child is Sammy. Don't call us ever again. Don't use our family name in anything! You've done enough damage for us!" With that, her mom hung up.

What the heck? Serena stared at her receiver for a couple of minutes. What the heck did she do? It's not like she wanted to be kidnapped that night! Why was it her fault? But wasn't it her fault? After all, she did sleep with him many times in Paris. Her lip quivered and she broke down crying again. Why couldn't they be happy that she was back? Why couldn't they just welcome her? Couldn't they see she was hurting?

Oh well. Her family never did understand her. There is no point in crying over what happened. Now, what was she going to do? She had no money. She needed her parents to pay for her courses. She can't go to college anymore. So, in the end, all of her hard work did go to a waste. Isn't life just great?!

She was no longer a student at Berkeley. This was a University Resident so she can't live here either. Don't cry, Serena. Don't cry. No matter what don't cry. Be strong. Stay calm. She forced herself to get up and start packing her clothes. Maybe, Lita will be able to help her. Hopefully, she can continue her job at Crushed Roses.

She locked the door behind her and left the keys inside a small box they made with a code to keep an emergency key. She prayed to God the whole way for a miracle to happen. If Lita wasn't there, she wouldn't have anyone to help her. She stepped into Crushed Roses cautiously. Nothing had changed.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't the slacker." Lita came out from the kitchen wiping her hands on a cloth. "Welcome back." She smiled softly.

"Hi, Lita. Thanks." Her eyes started to form tears again. At least someone greeted her warmly.

"So, after you went missing, I became scared. You're not the type of person to abandon your job like that without any warning. So, I called your friends, and they told me what happened." She came out from behind the counter. "So, did you have fun? Judging from your eyes, you look like you cried a lot. Is everything okay?"

Serena sighed and explained her dilemma. "So, I really don't have anywhere to live right now." She stated sadly.

Lita thought of what she could do to help Serena. "Well...you could stay at the top of this restaurant. It's kind of small, but you would have a bed, kitchen, bathroom, and a few things to make it comfortable. You could work here until you find another job or something. Ms. Maya and I are partners now so we both decided you'll be welcome to work here. Don't worry too much about it. Everything will work out, okay?" Lita cupped Serena's face trying to cheer her up.

"Thanks, Lita. Okay, I have one more favor to ask you. Can you cut my hair? And can I use your old glasses? I don't want anyone to recognize me. From now on, my new name will be Mira Lopez." She stated calmly. "I want to start over again. Serena Lionheart had too much sad stuff in her life. Maybe, Mira will lead me to happiness."

"All right." Lita smiled at her. "I'll be closing in an hour. Go upstairs and get settled. I can cut your hair in the backyard, and we can catch up on what's been happening in our lives."

After an hour, with Crushed Roses closed for the day, Lita got ready with her scissors. "So, how much do you want me to cut?" She combed Serena's waist-length hair.

"Um...about your hair length I guess." She tried to estimate how long that will be. "To my bra strap."

"That's a lot of hair. You know, maybe, you should do sell it or something and get money. People make wigs out of these things you know." Lita became to get the measurement ready and cut Serena's hair carefully. After a couple of minutes, Lita spoke "All right, it's finally straight. I can't do anything fancy like layers or anything so this will have to do."

"That's okay. Beggars can't be choosers. Thank you, Lita. It looks great." She smiled at Lita.

"Keep searching for a job. It's a waste to have your goals become like this. You never know what'll happen." She winked.

"Thank you, Lita. You are my savior. Thank you so much." Serena hugged her tightly.

The next day, Ms. Maya returned to work and welcomed Serena warmly. She continued to work as Mira, and everything was back to normal. She worked the whole day at Crushed Roses and only took a break to have a meal. Life continued in the same routine everyday. It was almost Christmas. The whole town was in the holiday mood. She decorated the restaurant with mistletoes and snowflakes hanging.

As she looked out the window, she couldn't help but feel sad. She had no one to spend her holiday with. She had very little money to buy anything. She felt alone once more. For some reason, ever since she returned to this world, she's been more lonely. Ms. Maya laid her hand upon Serena's shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze. "Mira, would you like to spend the holidays with my family?" Ms. Maya suggested.

"No thanks. I don't want to be bother. I'll be fine. It'll give me time to organize my life back in order. Maybe, I'll bake cakes and have a lot to sell for the New Years. I'll be fine." She smiled back warmly.

"God, I really hope a miracle will come for you." Ms. Maya patted Serena's cheek.

The doorbell jingled and a customer walked in. Serena turned to greet the customer warmly. "Welcome to Crushed Roses. How--" She bowed and stood up only to be shocked. Her eyes widened. It was him. He was back again. What was he doing back here? He seemed just as shocked as she was. "Uh..um..eh...oh...ex-excuse me." With that, she rushed to the back of the kitchen to call Lita.

"Hey, you have to go out there. I can't greet him. If he asks, say anything. It's him. He's back. I can't greet him. Get rid of him for me." She spoke in a panic as she shook Lita's body.

"Woah! Woah! Watch it! I'm putting the frosting on here." Lita screamed. "All right. All right. I'll do it." Lita wiped her hands and went outside to greet him. "Hi, sorry about that." She laughed nervously. Serena hid behind the door and listened quietly.

"Is she okay? She's not hurt, is she?" He asked filled with concern. She closed her eyes. Oh God. Just hearing his voice brought back memories of Elizabeth and Paris. She can't get weak now. Why he is here? Isn't he suppose to be with Mina?!

"No! No. She...she's just fine." Lita had to think of an excuse. "She just had to pee. No big deal." She waved her hand off. "So, what would you like to buy?" She smiled.

"Um...strawberry kiwi fruitcake please. I have been addicted to that ever since I bought it from here." He grinned at Lita. Serena glared at the door. That bastard! Trying to suck up to Lita to get her! No way in hell is she going to go running back to him just like that.

"Of course." Lita cut him a size like he wanted and gave him extra change. "Thanks for coming to Crushed Roses. I hope you have a good day." Lita smiled warmly at Darien. For the look in his eyes, Lita could see he was in pain like Serena. She could tell he did love her from the way he asked about her.

Serena heard the door jingle again and came out the door to greet Lita. "Oh, thank you, Lita. I don't know what I would have done. I'll go clean the lobby. You can finish greeting the new customer." Lita didn't respond. She just smiled and nodded.

Serena sighed and began to clean the tables. Why was he back here again? He knows I'm not his wife. He got everything he wanted. She had nothing more to give him. What else could he want? They had no more connection. Elizabeth was their only connection, and she was gone. Why he is here to torture her more? Can't he just leave her alone? Can't he see how much she's been through. A tear slipped from her eye. She wiped her eyes and noticed a shadow behind her. Startled, she squealed and turned around to come face to face with Darien again. Hadn't he left?!

"Sweetheart..."He smiled sadly. He found her. He finally found his Serena. God, he felt so happy. He hugged her fiercely. "God, I missed you." He took a whiff of her and nuzzled her neck. He wanted to cry like a boy did as he laid on his mother's shoulders, but he couldn't in public. He was glad no one could see them because they were in a dark corner in the back.

"Um...Sir." She poked his back. It felt so good to be back in his arms again. How she wished to be his warm safe arms for the rest of her life, but she couldn't. He wasn't hers. Oh God, he's nuzzling her neck. Memories of Paris flooded her senses and made her want him more. She can't. She had to control herself! "I think you have me mixed with someone else."

He chuckled and rose back up with his hands around her waist. "Who are you trying to fool, Sweets? You can cut your beautiful hair and wear glasses, but I know it's you. Your eyes, smell, and voice hasn't changed. Besides..." He held up her left hand. "You still have our engagement ring, Serena." He kissed her fingers softly.

"My-my name is Mira." She tried to tug her hand back, but he only tightened his grip. Oh God, make him stop. She didn't like this. Control! Control! Must get control! She kept repeating that as a mantra. He was too close. He had her trapped between him and the table. And he was kissing her fingers. She couldn't breathe.

"Oh really?" He smirked. "And this ring? Where did you get this ring?" He kissed her lightly on her nose.

"Uh..um..I-I got this ring from my mom. It's a family heirloom. Sir, I need to get back to work. Please, excuse me." She tried to push him away, but he wouldn't move.

"Wait, we're standing under a mistletoe." He grinned. He pulled her back into his embrace. "Isn't it a tradition for us to kiss?" He leaned in slowly.

Oh God. If he kissed her, God knows what will happen to her. She can't. Excuse! Excuse! Think of something! "Sir, that's not really necessary. I-I-I have bad breath." He didn't listen. Their lips met, and he began to lay butterfly kisses around her lips. He then parted her lips with his tongue and almost moaned when he entered her mouth. Memories from Paris came back and the fire that burned quietly inside them flared excitedly.

Oh God, he tasted wonderful. The world she left was coming back to her. She was losing herself. Her arms wrapped around his neck and pulled him closer. How wonderful it felt to be in his arm again. The world around them disappeared. It was only them. They kissed as if they had never kissed before. As if they were dying of thirst, and the other had all the water they needed. When their lungs were about to burst from the lack of oxygen, they broke apart to breathe.

She laid her head on his chest and he hugged her as he laid his head on hers. "You drive me insane, Serena." He whispered. "My innocent Serena, I love you."

Hearing his words, she pulled away. "You jerk! Why are you here? Don't you dare say that to me! Go back to your damn wife." She glared at him.

He grinned and lifted her up in the air. "I don't have one, sweetheart!" He twirled her around and put her down. "I got a divorce. But I do have a fiancé."

Hearing the word divorce made her heart jump with joy, but still, why was he here? He's engaged to someone else, and he wants her. "Then, go back to her." She pushed him again.

He chuckled. "I am with her. Sweets, you're my fiancé!" He kissed her quickly on the lips.

"I never agreed to marry an ogre like you!" She punched his chest lightly.

"Oh really? Don't tell me you forgot Paris already. Do you not remember me proposing to you and making love to you day and night?" He whispered in her ear. He held up her left ring finger again. "Did you ever see the inside of this ring? It's a special ring I had made just for you. Normally, you would slide the ring out of your finger, but that isn't the case here. You pull it open." He showed her and pulled the ring open for her. "Read what it says."

She hoped no one was able to see what was happening between them. Shocked, she slowly took the open ring from his fingers and read what was inside.

_My 1 true love, Serena. - S.D._

"You mean, you knew? Back in Paris, you knew?" Her eyes started to tear up. Her lip quivered. "When? I-I-I thought you didn't believe me. I thought you thought I was a fool." Tears flowed down her cheeks. She clenched the ring in her hand.

"Of course, I knew. Sweetheart, I would never take you for a fool. After all, you were studying to become an engineer at a top college. But regardless of that, I told you many times I loved you and only you." He cupped her face as she leaned a little on the table.

"Oh God..." She felt incredibly dizzy and fainted on Darien.

Scared, he shook Serena's shoulders. "Serena? Sweetheart! Serena, wake up! Don't you dare die on me too!" This cannot be happening. He just lost Elizabeth. He **cannot** lose her forever too. The past couple of weeks were torture enough. There was no way he could live like that for the rest of his life.

"I'll go get a cab to take her to the hospital." Lita rushed outside to get a taxi. She had been watching everything from the beginning with Ms. Maya. Like any other girls, the scene before them brought a smile to their faces. Ms. Maya wished to go with Darien and Lita, but somebody had to look after the store. She prayed to God Serena was all right

* * *

So...how was it? Did I lose my writing touch? Sorry, if I did. Well, tell me what you think. Was it really lame? Yikes. I'm really afraid to see what you all will say. Well, please review. Your review will only help me write better. Thank you. 

So, what did you think of Darien and Mina? I was thinking of Darien being really mean and abusive, but Darien's a gentleman. He won't hit girls. He just drugs them! LoL. No, that wasn't funny. But if he was abusive and they went to court, that wouldn't look good either so yeah.

Review please! I can't wait to read what you felt. : )

- Izuno


	10. Chapter 8

Sorry for the long wait! I had a major case of writer's block. I really wanted to write, but my brain wouldn't work! Well, at least, you didn't have to wait six months! ) All right. A lot of things happen in this chapter. Hopefully, you'll like it. Let's get started! Oh, thank you to all my wonderful fans!

Disclaimer: COL is all me

* * *

Previously on COL: 

_My 1 true love, Serena. - S.D._

_"You mean, you knew? Back in Paris, you knew?" Her eyes started to tear up. Her lip quivered. "When? I-I-I thought you didn't believe me. I thought you thought I was a fool." Tears flowed down her cheeks. She clenched the ring in her hand._

_"Of course, I knew. Sweetheart, I would never take you for a fool. After all, you were studying to become an engineer at a top college. But regardless of that, I told you many times I loved you and only you." He cupped her face as she leaned a little on the table._

_"Oh God..." She felt incredibly dizzy and fainted on Darien._

_Scared, he shook Serena's shoulders. "Serena? Sweetheart! Serena, wake up! Don't you dare die on me too!" This cannot be happening. He just lost Elizabeth. He **cannot** lose her forever too. The past couple of weeks were torture enough. There was no way he could live like that for the rest of his life._

_"I'll go get a cab to take her to the hospital." Lita rushed outside to get a taxi. She had been watching everything from the beginning with Ms. Maya. Like any other girls, the scene before them brought a smile to their faces. Ms. Maya wished to go with Darien and Lita, but somebody had to look after the store. She prayed to God Serena was all right._

* * *

Colors of Life  
Chapter 8  
Rating: PG-14

Color: Gold- the color of change and growth.

_It was dark. She couldn't see anything. She didn't know where she was or what she was doing. All she heard was her breathing. That was her only proof that she is still living and that she was not wondering into the depths of hell. Why is it that she never dreams? Why is it always lonely and dark? Something happened. A voice -her mind- told her. But what happened? Is she hurt? Physically...no. Is she heartbroken? Yes...there is too much pain. Rejection from her parents. Death of a loved one. Betrayal from her love. Failure at college and at life. She was a failure. She didn't want to open her eyes. She didn't want to wake up. She would rather be in the dark than to face life. She didn't have the courage. It was too painful. From what seemed to be far away, a golden ray of light shined through the darkness. What is that? She felt herself approaching it. The ray of light got bigger and closer. When the light fell on her, she felt warmth. She felt as if she could really breathe again. She felt no pressure or agony. Simply put, it felt good. She wanted more of this light. She wanted to know where the source of the light is and where it's coming from. She reached as far as she could and grabbed it. She felt extremely dizzy. The world around her was spinning. She held onto the golden source tightly as if her life depended on it._

Darien ran after Serena as the nurses took her on a stretcher. Unfortunately, one of the nurses told him to wait in the waiting room.

"Sir, please. You must remain in the waiting room while we examine her." One of the nurses told him.

"Wait, give me a minute." He sighed and kneeled beside Serena's face. He looked at her sleeping peacefully and whispered softly in her ear. "Come back to me, Serena. Please, sweetheart. I need you with me." He laid a quick kiss on her lips and took a deep breath as the nurses took her away.

"Sir, could you please complete this form while you're waiting?" Another nurse handed him a pad. He quickly filled in the information he knew about her and handed it back to the nurse. "Thank you. Please be seated in the waiting room, and we'll call you when we're finished." She walked away.

He went to the waiting room and sat down on a nearby chair away from other people. With his elbows on his legs and his head on his hands, he prayed to God. What happened to her? Please let her be fine. Oh God, I beg you. Please. I can't handle any more pain. I have suffered enough. God, you have brought her into my life. Don't take her away from me just yet. I just got back together with her after my divorce with Mina. Don--Mina.

Mina...could it be her? Did she do something again? But why would she? Did she want to get revenge on me? For forcing her into a divorce? No, that's not possible, is it? It-it can't be. He quickly grabbed his cell phone from his pockets and called Mina. He tapped his fingers as he heard the phone ringing.

"Love, miss me already?" Mina's voice came through.

"Not in this lifetime." He spoke angrily.

"Well, what do you want now? You got your divorce." She spoke irritated.

"One question. Did you do anything to Serena? If I find out that something is wrong with her and that you've done it, I swear to you I will kill you with my own hands." He threatened.

"I always knew you had a gigantic ego. Honey, a word of advice. Don't think too highly of yourself. Seriously, you're not that irresistible. After all, I did have my aff--"

"Answer the damn question!" He demanded furiously. "I just found Serena, and before I can completely enjoy holding her in my arms, she faints. Did you or did you not do anything to Serena?"

"Impatient as always. If I knew you could be this passionate, I would have never let you go. Who knows how great the sex would be with this passion...hmm..." She wondered. "But anyway, to answer your question, no. I may be a bitch, but I'm not a murderer. OoOoh...hot guy at three o'clock. Toodles." She giggled and hung up.

As soon as he hung up with Mina, the nurse came in and called him. "Mr. Shields?" He got up and walked over to her. "This way, please. The doctor is ready for you."

"Is she okay? Nothing serious, right?" He asked in a panicky voice as he followed her.

"Not that I know of. The doctor will explain everything to you. Please, sit down." She opened the door for him. "The doctor will be here in a couple of minutes." He nodded and she left.

He walked over to Serena and sat on the edge of the stretcher. He watched her chest go up and down. He noticed she had no tubes or wires sticking out of her. "Glad to know you're still breathing and well." He smiled and pushed back the hair from her eyes. His hand trailed down her left arm and took her hand. When he went to hold her left hand, he felt something poking his palm. He looked at their linked hands and saw their engagement ring.

He picked it up and examined it. Would she want to wear it anymore? Should I put it on her anyway? No, she has to choose if she wants me or not. What if she doesn't love me anymore?

"Did she ever?" His mind asked.

"Yes, in Paris. She told me she loved me." He responded.

"Good evening, Mr. Shields." The doctor opened the door and smiled. "May I know how you're related to Ms. Lionheart?" He sat in his chair.

"Um..." He didn't know how to respond. Her fiancé? Her lover? "I'm her friend." He quickly answered. He was glad that he wasn't dressed in a way that didn't let anybody know his identity. He wore his hat, which covered half of his forehead and all of his hair. He had on a sweatshirt and workout pants with a long jacket and scarf. "So, how is she?" He was eager to change the topic.

"She's good. Nothing to worry about. It seems that she might have fainted due to stress and lack of sleep. Try to make her sleep more and to relax a bit. Other than that, she's perfectly normal." He smiled. "You may take her home anytime you want." He smiled.

"I'll take her home right now." Darien answered quickly. He never did like hospitals.

"All right. The nurse will come in and give you the bill." He stood up. "Have a nice day. It was nice meeting you, Mr. Shields." He smiled, shook Darien's hand and left. A couple of minutes later, the nurse came in and Darien paid the bill with cash. Serena was still asleep. Should he wake her up? But she's sleeping. The doctor said she needed more sleep. Then, how was he going to take her to his house? He sighed and picked her up easily in his arms. Her head leaned against the crook of his neck.

He left the hospital with people staring at him. He didn't care. He was used to the attention. He called a nearby cab and went to his flat. On the way, he had Serena sitting on his lap still sleeping against him. They had a lot to talk about. Where should he begin? Apparently, something had been stressing her out. Hopefully, it wasn't him. He paid the cab and went to his flat with Serena in his arms.

He laid her on his bed and tucked her in. "Wake up soon, sweetheart. Or else, you're going to make me worry." He kissed her lightly on the lips. He looked her face from an inch away. She was sleeping. He heard her breathe. She looked very peaceful. But he noticed the puffiness of the eyes and the dark circles. Puffiness and dark circles she didn't have when she was with him. Something was wrong. He sighed and kissed her forehead.

Where am I? She moaned and stretched into another comfortable position. The sheets were so soft. It felt like Egyptian cotton. Her eyes opened immediately. She didn't have money for Egyptian cotton! She sat up and looked at her surroundings. The room was decorated with high-tech TV, DVD player, and stereos. She knew she was at Darien's place with this fancy room.

She needed to get out. How did he find her? Well, it probably wasn't too hard for him. As she pushed herself to the edge of her bed, she hissed in pain. Something poked her thigh. She picked up the object and noticed it was her ring. Her engagement ring. She looked at words inscribed inside. This can't be happening. It's too good to be true. He's going to hurt me again. It's too good to be true. There is no way I'm receiving this blessing. She placed the ring on the side table and rushed outside the room.

She looked around the hallway and in the living room. No Darien. She heard the shower running. Perfect! This was a good opportunity to leave before he realizes. She ran for the door and put on her shoes near the exit. The door was filled with four locks. One at the bottom, two in the middle and one at the top. She had trouble reaching the top lock because of her height.

"And where are you sneaking off to?" Darien whispered huskily in her ear shocking Serena. She jumped at the sound of his voice. He laid his right hand on hers closing the top lock as his left hand locked the two center locks. She was trapped. She didn't even hear him come behind her. She felt something wet on her shoulder. Was he crying or drooling on her? She turned and was speechless. Before her was a wet Darien with his hair dripping water and wrapped in a towel around his waist. She saw a water drop trailing down his gorgeous chest.

She quickly averted her eyes. "Couldn't you at least put some clothes on?" She closed her eyes, but closing her eyes didn't help.

"I was going to, but somebody was trying to sneak away." He smiled. "Do I make you uncomfortable? You already saw everything so I don't have to worry about hiding anything." His smile widened as he saw her blush. "Come on, give me a hug." Before she could reply, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her to him. She squealed as she felt her clothes become wet.

"Let me go." She tried to push him off, but he held on tighter. He grinned and shook his head letting his hair splash water on her. "What are you, a dog?" He laughed and carried her to his bedroom, a place where he could keep an eye on her. "I can't believe you're the CEO of a multi-billion dollar company..."

"Just because I'm the CEO, doesn't mean I have to be uptight all the time." He placed her on his bed and said. "Wait here for a minute. I'll get dressed." He rushed to the bathroom. She sighed as she sat there. She failed to escape him. She always failed to escape him. Is this a curse or a blessing? Was she supposed to get hurt by him constantly? Is Fate trying to say something? This can't be happening. After she left, he wasn't suppose to follow her. He was supposed to be happy with his real wife, and she was supposed to continue my life. Due to some circumstances, she couldn't go to college. She needed a new life so she created Mira, a waitress. God, did that fail miserably. She chuckled.

"What's so funny? I too would like a good laugh." He asked as he buttoned his crimson red shirt over his undershirt.

"Nothing." She shook her head and faced him. "Why are you here? Why did you bring me here? Aren't you suppose to be with your wife?" She questioned bluntly.

"Straight to the point." He smiled and sat beside her. "Your eyes are looking better." He examined her eyes. "Looks like you rested well."

"Answer my question!" She slapped his hand away.

"I told you. I no longer have a wife. I got a divorce." He got up and went to his closet. "Why am I here? I want you back. I want to continue what we shared." He came out with a belt and inserted it on his pants. "Why did I bring you here? Well, after you fainted, I took you to the hospital and because this is my flat, I brought you here."

_Was he joking? He wants her back? No way. Don't believe him, Serena. You're going to get hurt again. You are meant to be alone. No one was there for you when you were a child. No one is going to be there for you now or ever. He's going to hurt you. You know he will. You know you're a hopeless romantic who has watched way too many chick flicks. Don't go weak on me. Don't think of men. Stay focused. All you have in your life is your career. _

_But he wants me back. He came all this way to find me. That must mean something. I have suffered in the past, but maybe, God saw me suffering and decided to help me. She looked at him as he brushed his hair. He's really cute..._

_Serena, control yourself! Focus on your career._

_But..._

_Serena! Listen to me!_

_In Paris, he was really sincere and loving. He's always sincere and loving._

_That's because he was getting laid! Any guy would be sincere and loving if he was getting laid. _

_But he doesn't need me to get laid. He had Mina. Mina must surely be more skilled when it comes to sex. Mina is better. So, how did Darien know Mina wasn't me? Did he sleep with her and know that Mina was more skilled? _

Just the thought of Darien and Mina made her mad. It shouldn't make her mad since they were married. Serena knew that they must have had sex many times during their marriage. She became mad once again and pounded the bed beneath her.

"Sweetheart, are you all right?" He questioned her as he looked at her puzzled.

"Darien, how did you know Mina wasn't me?" She turned her body and sat facing him. "Did you sleep with her and know that having sex with her was different from having sex with me?"

He stood speechless and laughed. "Oh, it's funny how your mind works." He placed his hands beside her. "No, I didn't sleep with her after you left, but I did notice the difference. I'm sorry if I offend you, sweetheart, but you are very emotional and innocent. If you were at Elizabeth's funeral, you would have shed so many tears. When the girl standing next to me at the funeral didn't shed any tears, I was surprised, but after we got home, she tried to seduce me. I would never expect you to do that, and I knew that she wasn't you." He gave a small kiss.

"So...you knew Mina wasn't me because she tried to seduce you?" She questioned and he nodded. "How do you know that I can't be seductive?" She pushed him away. He laughed. "It's not funny!" She slapped him on his chest.

"Sweetheart, you are. You are very seductive." He wrapped his arms around his waist and pushed her on the bed with him on top of her. "Trust me. You are seductive in your own innocent way. She, on the other hand, well...she's dirtier. That's all I'm telling you because I would like to keep you innocent." He kissed her once more.

"I'm not that innocent." She subconsciously pouted as she lightly punched his shoulder.

"Sure you aren't." He smiled. "No more about Mina. She's in the past. Go take a shower and brush your teeth. We have a lot to talk about, don't we?" He said seriously.

"What are you talking about?" She acted innocent. "We don't have anything to about." She knew she was lying, but she didn't want a confrontation.

"Don't act like a fool. You know we have many things to talk about such as where we stand and what happened in the past couple of weeks." He got off her. "Go take a shower. There are clothes in the closet of your room." He noticed her change to confusion. "Clothes we bought in Paris. I'll get breakfast started." He left the room.

She sighed and went to her room. After a couple of minutes, she found the closet, fire exit, and the bathroom and began taking her shower. _Ahhh...it feels so good... _Hot water splashed over her body and it made her muscles loosen. It was burning hot, but she needed it that hot. Her body has been cold for days from the winter and the tears.

She wanted to forget everything if only for a couple of minutes. It was just her and water. She closed her eyes and imagined she was sitting in front of a waterfall enjoying the warm water and the sound of it. Just for a couple of minutes, she wanted to be spoiled. She wanted to not think of anything. She wanted just this burning water.

Darien stood in the kitchen trying to decide what to make for Serena. Eggs...waffles...cereal...pancakes. He never made pancakes before. She always liked pancakes. It might help her cheer up. He quickly grabbed his phone and called his personal maid. "Hey, Pearl, you awake?" He asked.

"Yes sir." She replied.

"Could you make some pancakes quickly?"

"Um...it might take me a half hour. Is that all right?"

"No problem. Bring them up as soon as you're finished."

"Yes sir." She hung up.

He wasn't exactly making the breakfast, but this will do. He looked at the date on his cell. 12/24/06. Christmas Eve. He looked at the living room with the Christmas tree. Pearl must have done it. The whole room was decorated festive. Like always, all employees get $5000. This time, he's spending the holidays with Serena. What should he give her? She already has the clothes from Paris and the engagement ring. Those could be her Christmas gift, but that's not good enough. Clothes and jewelry won't make her warm and happy. What would? He stood near the window and looked down at the city from his penthouse. He saw someone walking with..._it's perfect_. He grinned and began making some calls.

Pearl rang the bell and placed the warm pancakes on the dining table. After a couple of questions, Darien excused her to leave. Her gift was set. He was satisfied with himself. But should he take her out to dinner? Maybe to the finest seafood restaurant in town? No, she doesn't like fancy restaurants. Besides, during the annual new years party, they'll have seafood and all sorts of other variety. Maybe, it's better for her to decide. Speaking of her, where is she? It has been forty minutes already!

He went to her room and noticed both the lights from the bathroom and the closet was on. After peeking inside the warm bathroom, he looked inside the walk-in closet. There stood Serena with wavy damp hair and wrapped in a towel. She felt someone looking at her and turned to see Darien. "Hi." She said meekly. "I'm having a hard time choosing what to wear. There's too many choices." Her voice was low, but he heard her.

He chuckled and walked over to her. He placed his right hand on her bare shoulder making Serena shiver and led her to where all the sweaters were hanging. "How a sweater and a pair of jeans? After all, it is winter."

"I'll get ready." She nodded and grabbed a navy blue turtleneck and light blue jeans. "I'll be out in ten minutes." She walked out of the closet and placed the clothes on the bed. She turned to see Darien standing by the closet.

"Oh! You want me to leave. Right." He quickly walked out and shut the door behind him. He frowned slightly. Before, in Paris, they used to change clothes in the same room. He liked that feeling. It felt...intimate. He sighed and walked to the living room. _Will we ever be that close again? Everything is so messed up. _

She came out exactly in ten minutes like she said she would. Darien led her to the breakfast table as she followed. Serena looked at the pancakes and enjoyed every bite of it. Darien quickly made her a half-boiled omelet. He placed the cereal, milk, and orange juice. They ate in silence just enjoying each other's presence. He saw the look in her eyes as she ate pancakes and decided not to confront anything during breakfast.

After they finished, Serena began to gather all the plates and cups to the sink. "Don't wash them. Pearl, my personal maid, does those. Come here and sit down." Darien patted the seat next to him on the couch in the living room. She did as she was told. She sat beside Darien and kept looking at the ground. She knew it was time for confrontation. Darien pulled her closer and wrapped an arm over her shoulder letting her rest her head on his shoulder. "Make yourself comfortable like you used to be."

She nodded and looked out the window. They both just sat there and looked out the window. It was snowing. They sat in silence just watching the snow. "We're not in San Francisco anymore, are we?" She asked quietly.

"No, we're in Seattle." He answered. They sat in silence once more.

"It's been a long time since I've seen snow. When I used to live in Chicago, I used to play with my brother, Sammy. I had fun with him. He's my younger brother. We would make snow angels, have snowball fights, and make snowmen. Well...he would make the snowwoman and I would make snowman. Then, he would make up stories to go with the snow people like how the snowwoman is actually a hot secret agent and my snowman is a thief. Heh." Serena spoke softly. Darien quietly listened rubbing her arm at times.

"My parents would always appreciate him for his creative mind. They would always take care of him more than me. They would only tell me to do stuff. Go get me coffee, Serena. Bring me some water. Whatever. I'm not a freaking servant. I would rebel, and they would hit me. They would call me useless and stubborn. They would always threaten to never pay for college or to throw me out in the streets." Tears formed in her eyes. "Scared, I began to work at a part-time job. I worked like almost 30 hours weekly. I studied like hell to get straight As. I worked and worked, and I studied at night. Sometimes, I would only get 1 hour of sleep. Because of this, I got ulcer. Well, I didn't go to the doctor, but I checked the symptoms on internet. It got to the point where I couldn't hold down any meals. I would vomit like five times a day. Amy and Rei were worried about me a lot, but I didn't tell them about my ulcer." Darien rubbed her arm as he listened.

"One day, when I was eating lunch with Amy and Rei, I got a chest pain. I couldn't breathe. I would open and close my mouth like a fish to get air because it felt like I had something pulling a nerve connected to my heart. They wanted an explanation after I was back to normal. They told me to stop working so hard, but you know what? I couldn't. I mean, I told myself that I can only depend on myself. My own parents didn't understand me. My friend loved me, but they had their own life and issues. I didn't want to bother them. I hate to be a bother to people. I told myself there is no one else in my life to help me. My life is my career. My career is my life. There is nothing else. My family didn't know about my ulcer because they only cared about my grades. Even now, they're like that." Tears fell from her eyes.

"With my hard work, I got into Berkeley. Once again, I worked like hell. Amy, Rei and I always have been roommates. They would always have fun and go on dates. I did envy them, but I don't trust men. I always thought they were sex pigs. Besides, I don't think any man could understand me. Also, I always thought I was cursed because whenever I would see my friends with their family, it was always loving. When I was young, I wasn't good enough to be loved. I told myself that I was a bad girl in my past life. God didn't give me that blessing. Then, I met you. You told me to be your wife and Elizabeth's mom. Honestly, it felt like an opportunity to feel how it is to be a wife and a mother. Besides, I knew it was temporary, and that Mina would be back. So, I told myself to enjoy it as much as possible because it might be the only chance I have in my life to feel like a mother and a wife. You're a good husband, and even though you are dirty, you're not a sex pig with 52 billion girlfriends like the tabloids say." Serena drew imaginary objects on Darien's chest as she spoke. He listened with a smile.

"We went to Paris. I never had so much fun ever in my life. At that time, I wished that life would stop. I really wanted everything to be real. I didn't want to go back to my life at college. I knew you loved your wife. No matter how many times I told you I wasn't your wife, you didn't believe me. Of course, you said you loved the girl standing in front of you, but who is the girl? I wondered if you knew. I thought that you must think I went crazy. I thought that just so you could have sex, you called me Serena to please me. Then, we came home to see Elizabeth sick in bed." Her lips began to quiver. "She deserved better. I hope I was a good mother. Even now, I wonder why she had to go. She needed to experience more in life. She sho-shouldn't have died." She began crying. Darien used his leg and grabbed the tissue box on the table. He handed the box to Serena.

"The next day, Mina was in my room telling me that I could go home now. That there is nothing between you and me anymore. What she said was true. I'm not your wife. And I'm no longer Elizabeth's mother because she doesn't exist anymore." She cried more. "Elizabeth was our only connection, and now, it's gone. I got back home and was depressed for days. My parents abandoned me and no longer wished to pay for my college. Life as Serena sucked. I lost the guy I loved. I lost Elizabeth. I lost my career. Everything is gone. I created Mira hoping to start a new life, but you came. And everything crumbled. And here I am now..." She finished. They sat in silence once more.

"I knew you weren't Mina. You-You were too different from her. I liked the girl I caught many months ago. Like you, I too wished my time with you was real. I wanted it to last as long as possible. I've been with many girls, but it was different. From some reason, you left me wanting more of you. After you left, I missed you. I needed you. I knew I was in love. I never believed in love. Only pleasure. I lost Elizabeth, and I couldn't bear to lose you too. I enjoyed every single minute I spent with you. When I proposed, I was hoping you would say yes. I never thought you were crazy. I never thought you were psychopath who thought we weren't married. I still want to marry you. I want to spend my life with you. So, what do you say? You already have the engagement ring." He stated as he looked at her face.

"I don't know. I can't think of anything. I want my career life back again. I have no money. I worked too hard to lose everything now." She quietly said.

"I could always pay for your college. You could finish your studies and then, marry me. I'm willing to wait." He answered.

"No, I can't accept that. Just because you love me, I can't take the money." She shook her head.

"So, you accept the fact that I love you?" He asked.

"I don't know. I don't know anything about where we stand." She replied.

"I see..." He thought for a moment. "How about I give you a job? We need a person for the accounting unit. You'll be on the computer typing papers we tell you to type. Interested?"

"Are you sure?"

"I'm offering, am I not?"

"Okay. I'll start tomorrow." She smiled. "Thank you." She hugged him.

"Well, we're on holiday right now, but come with me to the New Years Party." He gave her a tight hug.

"So, what do we do now?" She asked as she pulled away from him.

"Well, we could do many things." He sighed and sat up straight.

She looked him and watched him as he moved. He's back again. Always making things right again. She leaned and gave him a light kiss on his lips surprising Darien. Before she could pull back, he pushed her head toward him holding the back of her head. He grabbed her waist and pulled her over him. He deepened the kiss and using his lips, he asked for entrance to her mouth. He slipped his tongue in her mouth quickly and groaned as Serena sat on his lap with her arms around his neck. He pulled apart to breathe. She looked thoroughly kissed.

"I-It was supposed to be a small thank you kiss. I wasn't planning on this much." She rubbed her swollen lips.

"This isn't much at all. If I made love to you, then it would be much." He had both of his hands on her waist. "Don't get shy on me."

"I'm not. It-It just feels weird. Seeing you again and being here with you. I still can't believe this is happening." She said gently.

"Well, believe it. This is real." He smiled.

"Let me go. I can sit beside you on the couch." She tried to pull his hands apart.

"Not interested in giving me a lap dance?" He grinned as he tightened his hold on her.

She blushed. "I don't even know what that is."

"Then why are you blushing?" He chuckled.

"I don't know. I know it's something dirty." She shyly stated.

"You don't want to learn?" He asked.

"No..."

"Darn. We could have had some fun." He smiled.

"You're dirty." She blushed more and lightly pounded his chest.

"So...where exactly do we stand?" Darien asked bluntly. He wanted a direct answer. He still wants to marry Serena if she accepts.

She sighed. "Honestly, I don't know anymore." She didn't have the courage to face Darien.

"What is it? Do you not like me?" Darien questioned.

"No. No. That's not it. I like you." She smiled at him. She cupped his face and ran her fingers through his hair. "You're so good to me. How can I not like you?"

"Then what is it? I gave you many things. I took you to Paris. We made love. I'm willing to offer you anything you want. Anything to make you happier." He stated.

"I know...I know all that." She frowned and looked down. She tried to get off his lap once again, but he pulled her closer.

"Are you not satisfied with me?" He asked as his breath fanned her face.

"No...I am." She pushed against his chest for more space, but he held on to her tighter. "In fact, I think you've done too much for me."

"Then, why can't you accept me?" He asked with a hint of sadness in his voice.

"I don't know. I don't know!" She pushed against his chest forcefully and fell back hitting her back with the table. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry." She straightened herself and got up rubbing her back.

He chuckled. "Normally, if any other girl was in your position, they would gladly marry me without any hesitation." He spoke as if he was talking to himself, but she heard of him.

"Then, why don't you go find someone else and marry her? I'm sure she'll always fawn over you and be willing to participate in all of your dirty dreams!" She glared at him. "You know what, I need to get out. I'm going out." She rushed to her room and locked the door.

"Serena! Serena, wait! I didn't mean it like that." He ran after her and knocked on her door. "Open the door, Serena." He listened for any noises and heard her opening the fire exit. "Sweetheart, don't go. Please. You don't know your way around Seattle. It's dangerous." He heard the door close. "Damn it!" He pounded the wall.

She ran down the stairs to the next floor and took the elevator to reach the ground floor. She took a deep breath and went outside. He was right. She didn't know Seattle, but it won't hurt to go to a nearby park she saw from her room. She headed towards the park and noticed all the Christmas decorations. Of course, it's about to be Christmas. She arrived at the park and noticed kids making snowmen, drawing snow angels and having snowball fights. Others were waiting in line to sit on Santa's lap. She smiled at the kids. _Elizabeth would have been so excited about Christmas. She would say "Mama! Mama! I saw Santa! And he said I'll get all presents I have on me list as long as I be a good girl. Mama, I am a good girl, right?" And she would go off giggling with her bear. _

"You are a good girl, sweetie. You're the best daughter I could have ever had. Merry Christmas, baby." She smiled and wiped a tear off her face. She sighed and sat on a bench watching everyone. She closed her eyes facing the sky.

What should she do? She knows Darien is great. He has always been great. This isn't a chance everyone gets. She has the opportunity to live life without any stress. If she did marry Darien, they will surely have kids, and she'll become a housewife taking care of them. What about her career? She has worked her butt off for 21 years. Even if she did become an engineer, there is no way she would be able to make that much money to live the lifestyle Darien was offering her.

He is great. He's perfect, right? So why can't she accept him? What is she afraid of? _Rejection_. She sought for her parent's love, and she didn't receive much. If she marries Darien, she is completely dependent on him. If he suddenly throws her out in the streets, she'll have no where to go. What if she doesn't do something he wants, would he...abuse her?

**SHUT UP!!!**

God, where was she getting all these thoughts? She knew Darien wouldn't do that so why would she even think that? _Have I gone insane?_ Oh God...what was wrong with her? She smacked herself on the head. _Woah...shouldn't have done that._ She grabbed the bench for support as she felt dizzy. She needed to get back. She wanted to sleep. She returned to the hotel the exact way she came out. She took off her shoes and fell asleep not noticing her bedroom door open.

Darien watched as she fell asleep on her bed. _She must be tired..._ He walked away closing the door slowly. Her gift had arrived so how was he going to present it to her? An idea popped in his head. Hopefully, his plan will work.

Serena moaned and turned to close her ears with her pillow. She was hearing jingling noises. What the heck? She waited a couple of seconds under the pillow, but the noise didn't go away. She got up and found the source of the noise. Her mind was so fuzzy. She couldn't see or think well. She asked rubbing her eyes "Santa..?"

"Ho ho ho. Merry Christmas, my sweeth-- dear." Darien spoke in a deep voice. Damn! He almost messed up. Serena was still sleepy and didn't notice.

"How come you're not fat?" She asked.

"Uh...ho ho ho." He said. What should he say? "The media, my dear. The media messed up my image. Besides, if I was big, how can I get through the chimney?" That was believable. Somewhat.

"Oh, I see." She yawned. "So, where's my gift?"

Straight to the point as always! "Uh, here!" He handed her the bear.

She stared at it for a while. "This looks familiar." She said as she rubbed the bear's head. "It's Bear. It's Bear, isn't it? This is Elizabeth's!"

"Yes, sweetheart." It slipped out of his tongue. Shit! He shouldn't have said that, but looking at Serena, it didn't seem as if she was listening.

"Sit down, Santa." She patted the bed beside her. "Thank you for this wonderful gift. I was thinking about her all day. My only regret is that she couldn't experience life fully, but maybe, it's a good thing. She'll never be hurt. Santa, do you think she felt my love for her? I know I wasn't her real mother, but when I first met her, she was so lonely. I hope I made her happy."

"I think you did, dear." Darien spoke in a deep voice. "After all, with your big loving heart, how could she not feel it?" He spoke in his normal voice.

"Drop the act, Darien!" She rolled her eyes and pulled his beard off. "Do you think I still believe in Santa? Nice beard by the way."

He laughed. "Well, every Christmas, I always dressed up as Santa for Elizabeth. So, why not do it now?" He leaned closer to her. "And do you know what she would say if she saw us?" He whispered huskily.

"What?" She turned her face towards him.

"I saw Mama kissin' Santa Claus!" He whispered and kissed her fully on her lips. Her eyes widened, but she surrendered to him. He pushed her back on the bed and laid on top of her. He sucked at her bottom lip as she returned the favor by sucking on his top lip. His tongue slid over the entrance of her mouth and parted her lips to enter her mouth. He deepened the kiss making her moan.

She pulled away to breathe. "It's technically Santa kissing Mama."

"She won't know." He grinned. "I'm sorry about earlier. I didn't mean it that way."

"It's okay. I forgive you." She smiled. "I think I might be PMSing so I was a little tired and emotional."

"Merry Christmas, sweetheart." He smiled and gave her a peck.

"Merry Christmas, Darien." She kissed him on the cheek.

The next couple of days, Darien left to set up the New Years party leaving Serena behind, but Serena saw this as an opportunity to see the city. Darien didn't come home until late at night, and by that time, Serena was already asleep. On the night of New Year's Eve, Darien and Serena both prepared themselves for the party. She curled her hair to make it look wavy, did her nails, plucked her eyebrows, and wore make-up lightly. She wore a cream strapless dress with sapphire drops and necklace with cream-colored satin shoes. Darien wore a pink, purple, and white striped shirt under a black jacket with black pants and shoes.

They arrived hand-in-hand on a huge boat. Serena felt shy seeing gorgeous women and men. Maybe, it was a bad idea to come. She didn't feel like she would fit in at all. Just because she was dressed up like a rich girl doesn't mean she was one. She took a deep breath. Darien gave her hand a squeeze. "Relax. You'll know some people here. It'll be fine."

As soon as she entered the main hall, she was in awe. On the left, tables were set up for dinner and the right was a dance floor, but what shocked her was the roof. The top was made of glass and she could see the starry night very clearly. "Beautiful, isn't it?" Darien asked. "Of course, it's nothing for the almighty me." He grinned and guided her to his table. "Oh, if anybody asks, you're my fiancée." He seated her.

"What?" She turned around to look at him as he kneeled down.

"What are you so shocked about? You did accept." He stated.

"But I didn't bring the ring." She said.

"But I did." He smiled as he pulled it out of his pocket. She just stared at him in shock. "It's for your own good. Just so nobody thinks you're a slut I've kept to satisfy me to deal with the divorce." He placed the ring on her ring.

"You have sluts to satisfy you?" She glared at him.

"No, but he is known to date girls who are sleazy." A voice came from beside Darien. She turned to the new voice and saw Andrew.

"Andrew! Hi! And Reika!" Serena stood up from her seat as Darien got up as well. "And Rebecca!" She giggled and picked her up in her arms. "How's my Becky doing?"

"Fine." She quietly said. After a quick kiss, Serena let her down.

"I'm glad I know someone here. Oh, I'm Serena by the way. We met during Thanksgiving." She held her hand out.

"We know." Reika smiled and shook her hand. "You're too different from Mina."

"While you two ladies are chatting, we need to go make a speech." Andrew pushed Darien away before he could do anything.

Darien and Andrew got up on the stage as the light dimmed and everyone sat down. "Welcome ladies and gentlemen to the 2007 New Year's Party!" Darien grinned.

"Due to everyone's suggestions, we have remade this boat to satisfy your needs. We hope you all have a wonderful time." Andrew grinned.

"Oh! To all the employees, for this year's bonus, you have received an extra little something on your check." The audience cheered and clapped. "Just don't expect it next year. Happy New Years, everyone!"

"Happy New Years!" Andrew grinned. "Oh, and guys, please limit yourself to the wine. We don't want any mishaps this year."

With that, everyone continued dining. After they finished their dinner, employees and other people came to talk to Darien and Andrew. Then, the ladies took Reika away. Serena just sat there alone looking at everyone. Getting bored, she turned to play with Rebecca, but Rebecca decided to leave her to go play with other kids. Sighing, she didn't know what to do.

"I haven't you seen you around before." A guy sat beside her. "Name's Alan." He didn't look older than Darien. With blonde hair and brown eyes, he was pretty cute dressed in a crimson red shirt and black pants.

"Oh, hi. I'm Serena. Nice to meet you." She smiled.

"So, what department are you in?" He asked.

"Accounting." She sounded questioned.

"Really? Where? In New York or in Seattle?" He asked.

"Seattle..." She hoped she was right.

"That's not possible because I'm the manager for the accounting department." He grinned.

"Oh, I'll be joining soon this year." She smiled. Oh God, she was talking to her boss.

"Ahh...so you're the new girl Mr. Shields told me about." He nodded his head as he smiled.

"Shields? Oh! Darien! Okay. Yeah, I think I'm her." She chuckled nervously.

"You're on first-name base with him? How do you know him?" He asked.

"Uh...I met him in..." She couldn't tell him how they met. That would make look like she got the job because she slept with him even though that was the truth. She cleared her throat and took a sip of water. "In my hometown. He lived in my hometown and knew him from school." She smiled and hoped her lie worked.

"I see. I'm glad a pretty girl like you is not dating him. If you were, I would be very jealous." He smiled. "Would you like to dance?" He stood up and offered his hand.

"Sure." She was bored anyway.

Darien noticed Alan and Serena talking alone. He decided to let them be, but he looked in her direction again. He couldn't find her. He looked around and saw her dancing with him. What the--?! They're dancing too close!! He watched as Alan's leg brushed against Serena's. What's he trying to do? Grind against her? _Only I can do that!!_ He excused himself. "I'm sorry, but I think I want to entertain my partner a bit." He smiled and rushed to Serena.

"Excuse me. May I?" Darien tapped against Alan's shoulder.

"Of course, Mr. Shields. It's pleasure to spend time with your childhood friend." Alan smiled at her as Darien glared leaving Serena to laugh nervously.

"Yes, she is wonderful company, isn't she?" He smirked. "Oh, this is the girl I told you about."

"Yeah, I figured it out." Alan smiled.

"Well, let me have a dance with her before it ends." Darien smiled and Alan apologized.

Darien wrapped his arms around her waist and began dancing. "You little minx! Childhood friend?"

"I didn't know what to tell him." She hid her face on his chest.

"You're supposed to tell him what I told you to tell him. My fiancée." Darien whispered.

"I'm sorry. I couldn't." Serena stated. "Besides, why don't you just let everyone think I'm a slut to help you over your divorce?"

"Because I don't want anyone think that low of you." He whispered as she chuckled. Wasn't she that low? After all, she did get that job because she had a sex life with him.

"Darien, just let me be a childhood friend for now. I don't want people to know." Serena stated. "Not yet."

"All right." He sighed.

The lights and music turned off and everyone stopped dancing. 'It's time for the countdown.' Everyone began saying and started counting down.

10...9...8...

"Hey, Serena." Darien yelled over the noise.

7...6...5...

"Hmm? What is it?" She yelled at the top of lungs.

4...3...2...

"Kiss me!" He slammed his lips on her as he pulled her up.

ONE!!! Happy New Years!! Everyone shouted and some were kissing.

Serena got over the shock and relaxed as she placed her hand on his shoulder and let him have his way with her. On the side, Alan watched as the couple kissed. "Ann, do childhood friends kiss?"

"Some do..." Ann wrapped her arms around Alan's. "But there's a difference between a friend's kiss and a lover's.

"That's what I thought." Alan smiled.

For the next couple of months, Serena began working in the accounting department and made friends quickly. Even though her job kept her busy, she was still able to converse with her co-workers. She barely saw Darien throughout the day. After all, she was only a worker. Only the managers speak with him. Throughout the months, Alan and Serena became friends. They worked as they should, but still, he teased her at times.

"Serena, could you deliver these files to Mr. Shields?" Alan asked Serena as he handed a bunch. She nodded and walked to his office. Without knocking on the door, she entered the office and stopped to see a redhead sitting on Darien's lap and kissing the life out of him. Darien had his hand on her waist and looked as if he was enjoying the kiss.

Serena cleared her throat, which broke apart the girl and him from their kiss. She walked over to his table watching the girl still sitting on his lap not bothering to get off.

"Mr. Alan wanted me to give these files to you. Thank you." She dropped the files on his desk and quickly left shutting the door behind her. She took a deep breath to calm herself down. For some reason, she felt nauseated and rushed to the restroom to puke.

When she came out of the stall, Ann stood in front of the mirror fixing her make-up. "First, the peeing. Now, the vomiting. You sure you're not pregnant?" She giggled. "If you want, ask Setsuna for advice. After all, she is pregnant." With that, Ann left the restroom.

Pregnant? Did people think she was pregnant? No, she can't be. It's not possible. Sure, she was peeing a lot, but she did drink a lot of water. And she has been vomiting a lot, but that could be because of stress. It's the stupidest idea she ever heard. Her? Pregnant? She laughed. But they didn't use protection...at all. Plus, she hasn't had her period for awhile. Oh God, could she be?!! She rushed to Alan. "Hey, Alan. Can I quickly go out for a hour or two? Please? It's an emergency!"

"You all right? You look a little pale. Why don't you take the day off?" He smiled.

"Thank you!" She rushed out of the office to see the nearest Ob-Gyn and get herself tested.

The doctor told her she'll have the test results within a week.

For the couple of days, Serena ignored Darien. If she saw him anywhere, she would walk out of the room. She didn't speak to him at home and only came home to sleep. She would lock her door and block it with a chair.

The next day, Darien left for work very early in the morning so Serena didn't have the hassle trying to stay away from him. She arrived at little late. She struggled with finding the right pants because none of them fit her! She had a little belly. _Note to self: Diet!_ She had to be the only girl to wear a skirt in the middle of February. She dressed herself in a white shirt and a soft blue skirt.

She apologized to Alan for arriving late. "Well, it is my birthday. So, I'll let you go." He smiled.

"Oh! Happy Birthday! If there's anything you want me to give you for your birthday, please ask." She smiled.

"Actually, there is something I want from you, but I don't know if you'll give it to me." He grinned and stood next to her.

"Well, ask. I don't know what you're asking for." She grinned.

"A kiss. A kiss you would give to a friend. I saw you kiss your childhood friend on New Years. If that's how you kiss a friend, I've been wanting to see how you would kiss me. After all, we are friends even though I'm kind of like your boss." Alan grinned. "I want to go out with you."

Serena couldn't say anything. She didn't know what to say. Before she could respond, Darien entered. "Could I please borrow Serena for a couple of minutes?"

"Of course." Alan smiled. "In fact, use this office. I have some business to take care of in another department. Take your time."

As soon as Alan left, Serena glared at Darien. "What do you want?"

"You've been ignoring me the past week or so!" Darien crossed his arms across his chest.

"So, why do you care? I'm sure you have your precious redhead to take care of you." She rolled her eyes.

"Do you think I'm cheating on you?! Why you can't you just trust me?!" He screamed at her.

"How can I? Especially when I saw her on your lap! Who knows what you two do with each other!" She screamed back at him.

"I didn't have sex with her!" He yelled.

"Like I believe you! After all, people do say you have sleazy girlfriends. You are a horny guy with your dirty needs. Just leave me out of it!" She glared tried to move past him.

"So what if I am horny?! Every single guy out there is! And just because I am horny does NOT mean I had sex with her?" He pushed her back to Alan's desk.

"So, you never had sex with her ever in your life?" Serena asked.

"Well, I did. I have, but--" Darien was interrupted.

"I rest my case!" Serena pushed him away from her. "Leave me alone from on! I don't want anything to do with you. The ONLY connection we had before was Elizabeth! Now, you're my boss! Let it stay that way." She walked to the door, but Darien pulled her back.

"Why can you just trust me and accept the fact that I love you?!" Darien glared and asked huskily.

"Sure, I can see your love very strongly with other girls too!" She yanked her arm away from him.

"Is that what you think? That I have many girlfriends behind your back?" He asked.

"If you're not getting anything from me, you might as well be getting it from someone else." She smirked.

Darien pushed her against the wall and forcefully kissed her. Serena struggled to get away and pushed against him. He wouldn't move. She tried to move her mouth away from him, but he would grab her mouth into another kiss. He pinned her against the wall letting her feel every single hard part of his body. She couldn't breathe. She knew he was aroused. She had to get away before anyone saw them. Before he seduces her. Somehow, she pushed him strongly, and he fell to the floor panting.

"Leave me alone. You have no right to do that to me anymore!" She glared at him and walked away. Darien quickly grabbed her leg and pulled her down. She squealed and fell on the floor. He climbed on top of her and began kissing her. She tried to protest, but his hands went under her shirt and massaged her hips- her weak point. He began to kiss her jaw knowing she had surrendered. His hands slowly went down her leg and began to lift her dress and massage her leg. He went to her neck and started sucking and nibbling on her neck. She groaned when she felt his teeth. She grabbed his hands to prevent them from going any higher.

"Do you feel it?" He pressed down on her. "This is all my pent up feelings for you. I've been patiently waiting for you to accept the idea of us together. When you wanted a shoulder to cry on, I was there. When you wanted help, I was there. Why can't you love me back? What are so afraid of? I love you." He kissed her deeply.

"Darien!" An elderly man's voice broke out.

"Good heavens." A woman gasped.

Darien broke apart from kissing on top of Serena with his hand on her thigh while Serena laid beneath him with her hands on his. Both looked ruffled and had their face filled with desire. They both stared an elderly couple. The woman had both of her hands covering her mouth while the old gentleman grinned and chuckled. Behind them stood Alan staring at them in shock.

"Mom...Dad..." Darien stared at them in disbelief

* * *

Well, how was it? I hope you all liked it. I did say this will be the epilogue, but I couldn't do it. I thought it would be too rushed. Plus, I wanted to see how you felt about this chapter. I wanted to show you a character's background so I did. 

**BUT **I will say for sure that the next chapter is the EPILOGUE!!!

I have a couple of questions for all of my fans. Please, answer the questions in the review, and you'll make me very happy. So, here are the questions:

1. What did you love about this story?

2. Is my style of writing good compared to other authors?

3. What is it about my style you like?

4. Would you like me to write other stories?

I should be doing this at the end of the last chapter, but I don't think it matters. Based on how many reviews I get, I will determine whether or not I should continue writing more stories. Don't worry about COL. As I promised, I will finish it. I'm saying that based on the number of reviews, I will decide whether I will write other stories.

Thank you for reading COL! I'll see you all in the Epilogue! And I'll tell you whether or not COL will be my first and last story. )

**Please Read & Review!!**

- Izuno


	11. Epilogue

Sorry for not updating for the longest time. I'm in college now, and God, it's hard. I hate it. I had the worst time of my life. I had many problems and am struggling to get good grades. That's why I didn't update. I hope this epilogue is good. I just wanted to finish this before college starts again. Tell me what you think! )

Disclaimer: COL is all me. Sailor Moon is not.

* * *

Previously on COL: 

"Sure, I can see your love very strongly with other girls too!" She yanked her arm away from him.

"Is that what you think? That I have many girlfriends behind your back?" He asked.

"If you're not getting anything from me, you might as well be getting it from someone else." She smirked.

Darien pushed her against the wall and forcefully kissed her. Serena struggled to get away and pushed against him. He wouldn't move. She tried to move her mouth away from him, but he would grab her mouth into another kiss. He pinned her against the wall letting her feel every single hard part of his body. She couldn't breathe. She knew he was aroused. She had to get away before anyone saw them. Before he seduces her. Somehow, she pushed him strongly, and he fell to the floor panting.

"Leave me alone. You have no right to do that to me anymore!" She glared at him and walked away. Darien quickly grabbed her leg and pulled her down. She squealed and fell on the floor. He climbed on top of her and began kissing her. She tried to protest, but his hands went under her shirt and massaged her hips- her weak point. He began to kiss her jaw knowing she had surrendered. His hands slowly went down her leg and began to lift her dress and massage her leg. He went to her neck and started sucking and nibbling on her neck. She groaned when she felt his teeth. She grabbed his hands to prevent them from going any higher.

"Do you feel it?" He pressed down on her. "This is all my pent up feelings for you. I've been patiently waiting for you to accept the idea of us together. When you wanted a shoulder to cry on, I was there. When you wanted help, I was there. Why can't you love me back? What are so afraid of? I love you." He kissed her deeply.

"Darien!" An elderly man's voice broke out.

"Good heavens." A woman gasped.

Darien broke apart from kissing on top of Serena with his hand on her thigh while Serena laid beneath him with her hands on his. Both looked ruffled and had their face filled with desire. They both stared an elderly couple. The woman had both of her hands covering her mouth while the old gentleman grinned and chuckled. Behind them stood Alan staring at them in shock.

"Mom...Dad..." Darien stared at them in disbelief.

* * *

Colors of Life

Epilogue

Rating: PG-14

Color: Rainbow—the colors of life. Life is too random to be just one color.

"What is going on here?" Asked Mrs. Shields. " Darien, I never raised to behave like this!! Honey, tell him what he's doing is wrong and almost barbaric!" She looked at the scene in front of her and glanced at her husband for her support as she held his hand and entered the room.

"He's just having a little fun now, that's all. I see you've been doing well, Darien." He smirked.

Darien laid on top of Serena in shock staring at his parents. He couldn't believe they actually barged in on them. On the other hand, Serena was dying in embarrassment and quickly pushed Darien off her. It was bad enough that Darien's parents and Alan had walked in on them, but it's worse to be in a position with Darien's hands up her skirt. Darien immediately stood up and gained control of his emotions.

"Um…" He cleared his throat. "Mom, dad, you really caught me at a bad time. Could you wait at my office? I'll be joining you in a couple of minutes. Alan, show them the way please." Alan nodded numbly and guided Darien's parents out of the door.

"Two minutes, son!" Mr. Shields grinned and closed the door.

"I thought you said you didn't have a mom!" Serena snapped at Darien as she kept straightening her clothes and hair. "You lied to me. It makes me wonder what else you've lied about." She glared at him.

"I didn't lie." He snapped as he fixed himself. "She's my step-mom. She favors her daughters more than me. Thank god she didn't have any sons, or else, I would have been in trouble with inheriting this company."

"Now, I'm in trouble! Oh God!! I can't believe Alan saw me like that. What the hell would I say to him?! This obviously isn't how childhood friends behave around each other!!" She ranted in frustration.

"It's your fault for not telling him that you're my fiancé. " Darien stated as he fixed his tie.

"I'm not your fiancé. I still haven't agreed to marry you." She poked his chest every time.

"Oh? But you did in Paris." He grabbed her hand.

"Nothing was real. Nothing is real." She pulled back her hand. "What happened between us in the past year doesn't make any sense at all. Darien, you have to accept the reality of it. Seriously! By some random fate, we met, and things happened, but because of the situation we lived in, it wasn't real. We can't keep acting like this around each other just because we have a strong physical attraction towards each other." She tried to knock some sense into Darien.

"Random fate? There's no such thing. You're contradicting yourself." He smiled. "Let's say that what you say is right. Every that happened between us is not real. We have nothing between us, but I ask you this. Can't something come out of nothing? Why must that nothingness go to a waste? We have physical attraction, and it could lead to something, right?" He pushed her hair behind her ear.

Before Serena could respond, Alan knocked and entered cautiously. "Sir, your parents are impatiently waiting for you. And they also requested you bring Se—I mean, Miss Serena with you."

"Yes, sorry for losing track of time. Let's go." Darien grabbed Serena's hand and led her out. She looked at Alan hoping he would understand that she was sorry.

"You're only sorry for losing track of time?! Oh, don't apologize for almost having sex in the middle of his office!" She hissed quietly causing Darien to stop abruptly.

"You really thought I would take you like that? Sweetheart, don't worry. I have no fantasies about making love to you anywhere except our bed. I wouldn't dream of taking you like that as I would to a whore." He smiled and resumed walking. "Unless, you want to, and I can surely oblige."

"You dirty pig!" She mumbled under her breath. It made her a little happy that he said "Our bed" for some reason. She really did like him, but she was extremely afraid. What if he liked someone else? He's a multi-billionaire. He could get any girl he wanted, but why did he have to choose her? Why? He said he liked her innocence, but what if there was a girl who was more innocent than her? Then, would he bed her too?

Serena so lost in her thoughts that she barely realized that they were already in his office. "…rena? Serena? Sweetheart!" Darien shook her. He looked at her in concern. "You okay?" He inspected her face as he held her chin up.

"Good. I'm good." She smiled nervously and faced his parents. Why did they call her with Darien? What would they want with her?

"So, how much did he pay you?" Mrs. Shields asked coldly.

"Excuse me?"

"You know, for sex? How much?"

"Mom, sh—"Darien began as he held Serena's hand.

"Nothing. He paid me nothing." Serena glared at his mom.

"Good god. You're worse than a slut. You sleep around for free." She gasped in shock and disgust.

"She's not my slut!" Darien yelled as his grip on Serena tightened.

"Then, why on earth did you sleep with her? Give me one good reason why you divorced Mina! This is completely intolerable!!" She raised her hand to stop Darien. "Let me finish. We come back from Milan and see that you are now divorced. Mina was such a great girl. Her family was wealthy, and I can't accept how you would leave Mina for a girl—no, a low poor trash like her. "She pointed at Serena.

"You're right, Mrs. Shields. " Serena smirked. Both Darien and his parents stared at her in shock. Serena pulled her hand away from Darien and walked closer to Mrs. Shields. "Yes, I am a piece of trash, aren't I? Why, I'm sure every hardworking poor girl working towards a degree in college like me is a trash." She glared. "Know this. I am not a girl who would fool around men carelessly. I am a woman who also carries her pride and dignity. Obviously, you judge me because of what you witnessed in Alan's office, but there's so much more to me that you don't know about. It's almost…ignorant of you to judge me this way when you absolutely know nothing about me. But then again, I highly doubt you know anything about Mina since you seem to be praising her so much. If what you call a woman is Mina, then I pray to God that I never become a woman, but then, all you care about is money. If you judge a person with how much money they have, then I pity you for living a sad life. I would rather be trash than a woman any day." She turned away.

"Why you—" She sat up in anger.

"Shut it! I don't need this," She looked at Darien and then, his parents. "This family's life lives and revolves around money, and I would never dream of living in it or being anywhere around it. I quit. I'll clean out my desk by the end of today." Serena headed towards the door.

"Serena?" Darien called out her name.

"I'm sorry, Darien, but it's not going to work out between us." She slipped off the ring and dropped it on the ground. "There's no use for this anymore. Might as well let the janitor pick this up with the trash as well. Good bye." Serena continued walking towards the door.

"What are you talking about? I'm not letting you go!" Darien whispered as he pushed the door back.

"Enough of this! Darien, why you just accept there's nothing between us except physical attraction?!" Serena turned to face Darien standing a foot from her.

"And why can't you accept that there might be something between us?" He pinned her to the door. He didn't care if his parents were watching. For the first time in his life, he found someone he could love and be loved. Being around Serena made him happier than he had ever hoped or expected. He can't let this wonderful person walk away from his life. He can't let his happiness walk away.

"Even if there was something between us, I'm apparently nothing but trash." She screamed pointing at his mom.

"I don't care. You are you. My Serena will always be Serena, and hopefully, mine forever as well. Listen to me. " He stopped her when he knew she would rebuttal. "Because you are the way you are, I love you. Even if others view you as trash, then so be it. I still love this trash. I love you so please, don't run away from me. Don't you get it? I absolutely in love with you, and I want to spend an eternity with you."

She wanted to give in. She wanted to let herself love him, and was almost to the point of tears. "I-I'm sorry, Darien. I'm sure you can find another trash to love. Besides, even if I do accept you, I still can't accept your family. It's not going to work out. Just let it end here." Serena looked down and tried to push him away.

"I can't. I don't know how. Tell me. You seem to be so good at it. Tell me how to tell bye to the one person you ever loved in your life. The person whom made you the happiest person on earth and made you wish you wouldn't go to heaven without the other person because every time you're with them was heaven. Tell me." He pressed her closer and lifted her face.

She couldn't handle it. She loved him. She knew that there was no way she could stop herself. She finally accepted that he loved her as well. He loved her, and it made her so happy. But still, their relationship was based on physical attraction. Any relationship based on physical attraction was bound to break sooner or later. "I'm sorry, Darien. Whenever I pictured myself getting married, I wanted a loving mother and father-in-law. To your family, money means the world. Money is important in this world, but there are just some things that are more important and precious than money. I can never marry into a family that only cares about money. Maybe, every girl has that dream, and in the end, it never does work out perfect. But I need a reason to stay beside you. I can't just marry and live with you because of our attraction. Until I find that reason, I can't be by your side. I'm sorry. Even if I never return or you find someone else, know this. You truly are one perfect man even with your dirty personality. Once again, I'm sorry. I don't know how to say good bye to the person you love, and believe me, it does hurt me to say good bye to you. There needs to be more than sex between us. I'm sorry, Darien." She stood up on her toes and lightly kissed him on his lips.

Darien stood there frozen as she kissed him, opened the door and left. She walked out of his life. Her heart wasn't in this relationship. She didn't love him enough to create a relationship. Tears began to form in the corner of eyes, but he refused to cry in front of his parents. He felt embarrassed to let his parents see him in his weak and vulnerable position. "I need to be alone." He walked away from his parents and went to his penthouse.

Serena walked back to her desk and began packing. She too was heartbroken, but it just kept bothering her that their relationship was mostly based on physical attraction. Maybe, it was supposed to end like this. If they were meant to be, then fate itself would bring them back together. Her cell vibrated in her purse and broke her out of her thoughts.

"Hello?" She answered.

"Ms. Serena? Hi, I'm calling from Memorial Hospital. Your test results are in, and Dr. Banks would like to see you. When would you like to meet with her? We have one available in one hour. Would that be okay?" The lady asked.

"Um…how were the results? Am I pregnant?" She asked quietly. Damn it! She just broke up with Darien. What if she was pregnant with Darien's child?

"I don't know anything about your results. I think Dr. Banks wants to meet with you about your results. Could you make it in one hour?" She asked.

"Yes, I could. I can be there soon. Thank you." She hung up and was frustrated. She had to regroup herself. Her hand went to her belly. She didn't feel pregnant. There was no point in debating whether or not she was pregnant. The results would tell her the truth.

She took a deep breath and went to Alan. She knocked on his door and waited for his consent. Alan sat back in his chair and blankly stared at her. "So, I doubt you sleep with your childhood friends."

"I'm extremely sorry for lying to you. Believe me, I didn't mean to be in such a position as I was then. I'm really sorry." She apologized.

"Tell me the truth now. How do you know Mr. Shields? What's your relationship with him? I'm not mad. I'm just shocked. Maybe, I was a little hurt, but I did have a small crush on you." He smiled lightly.

She told him about her relationship with Darien leaving out the personal details as much as she could and about why she had joined this company. "Right now, in his office, I quit, but before I clean my desk, I need to go out so is that okay?"

"Well, if you quit, then I am no longer your boss. You may do whatever you please." He stood up and walked over to her. "I respect your decision on how you decided to end your relationship with Mr. Shields, but I must tell you that it's really hard for men to express their feelings. We are physical beings, and for us, it's easier to express how we feel physically. For example, if women are angry, they can rant it out, but for men, we like to punch it out. Not necessarily an object. It could be punching in mid-air. Also, men don't like to deal with emotions and all that crap. I know women are emotional in general, and we will tolerate it for awhile. But we want physical connection in a relationship, and women tend to seek emotional connections. I'm sure Mr. Shields must have struggled tremendously to express his feelings to you and have hoped that you would have been able to understand and accept him. He really must have had a lot of courage to almost plead you to stay with him. No man likes to be seen weak. That's all I wanted to say. Whatever you decide to do, I hope you are happy." He smiled.

She thanked and left him to visit the hospital. As she waited at the doctor's office, she wondered if she had done the right thing. Was it wrong for her to not accept his feelings? Should she get back with him? Would having a baby change their relationship? Did she want this baby? What about her career that she worked so hard for? Did it all mean nothing in the end? She was now single and jobless and could be pregnant. If she did have this child, how was she going to protect it? Would she have to tell Darien? What would he do if she did tell him in the end?

"Ms. Serena?" A nurse called her and led her to the doctor's office. "The doctor will be with you shortly."

After a few minutes, the doctor entered with her chart. "Welcome back. How are you feeling?" She asked.

"I'm okay. I heard the test results came in." Serena replied. "Am I pregnant?"

"No, currently you are not, but I think there was a possibility that you were. You might have had a missed miscarriage. Tell me. Did you ever bleed a little when you weren't on your period?" She asked.

"Yeah, I did, but I thought it was just because of my irregular cycles." She said.

"It's normal for women to have irregular cycles. Make sure to eat a lot of iron. I'll prescribe some iron tablets for you as well. Keep taking them even if you start to have normal cycles. You can never have enough iron in your body. Remember to take plenty of rest." She smiled.

"So, will I ever be able to have a child?" Serena asked worried as she rubbed her belly.

"Of course. Most women don't realize they had miscarriages in their first trimester. It's normal." She smiled once more. "You seem a little sad. Is something bothering you? Does your husband not know?"

"No, I'm not married. On my way here, I kept wondering what I would do if I did have a child. You see, I just broke up with the guy I slept with. I thought it would bring so many problems if I did have his child. He doesn't know I'm here. I thought of how it would affect my life and his. I wondered whether I should tell the guy or what I would do with my career and etc. Now, the baby is gone. And it makes me a little sad. Strange, isn't it?" She chuckled.

"It's normal for a girl who wants a child. I do believe you are perfectly healthy. All you need is iron, and you should be in perfect condition to have a child. As for whether you should tell the guy, that's your choice. I don't know why you left him, but I'm sure you have your reasons. In fact, it might have been a good thing if you didn't have his child. But on the other hand, about career goals, all I can say is that you're going to have to choose between them. It's hard for a woman to keep both her career life and family life strong. It's definitely a struggle. I know a woman who double majored in college to become an investment banker, but in the end, she became a mother for four children. In the end, she is happier. I think she married an investment banker instead." She laughed. "Do what makes you happy. I became an Ob-Gyn to make other women be able to have children. If you're aiming for a challenging career like investment banking, then you're going to have to choose. It's not impossible to do both, but it's definitely challenging. Anyway, I have to get going to see other patients." She smiled and excused herself.

Serena walked out of the hospital wondering about the doctor's advice. What makes her happy? She kept her hand on her belly as she walked. She had a baby inside of her. _My child.__With Darien._ So, she has to choose between engineering and Darien. She thought back to her days in college. She spent many nights studying and crying over her classes. Her family was no help since all they did was lower her self-esteem. They were never supportive of her. She spent days crying because of their words. She had to be strong. She forced herself to be strong. She worked hard to leave her pain. Her career was the only thing she could depend on, and she forgot about love. But then, she met Darien. He made her want to be with someone again. He made her happy. She wanted to be a mother. She wanted to be with someone. Tears began to leak from her eyes. _I want Darien…Is this what love feels like? I want to see him. I want to be with him. I want to experience motherhood. _

She wiped her tears and entered her department. There she found Mr. Shields sitting on her desk. She walked cautiously to him as he noticed her. Was he mad at what she said about them? She wasn't thinking. She was just pissed off at Mrs. Shields.

"Welcome back, Ms. Serena." He smiled. She nodded back with a confused look on her face. "I suppose you're wondering why I'm waiting for you. I wanted to apologize for my wife's words. She always cared about keeping the family clean in public. She's not heartless, but she never did like Darien too much. He would always disagree with everything she said. I don't think he liked me remarrying someone again." He mentioned.

"I see, Sir, but why exactly are you telling me all that? I accept your apology, and I'm sorry for my words too." She bowed her head.

"Don't apologize. You were right about our family. We do live around money. I married my wife for convenience. I never did experience love in my life, but I think my boy has. He never said he loved anyone." He noticed Serena's shock. "I'm serious. Not even to Mina. It surprised me when I heard him say those words to you. Because of my second wife, I don't think Darien was loved by her ever. I was worried that he might not be cared for ever in life, but I'm glad he met you. I wanted to say his feelings are genuine, and if you do decide to get back together, I would love to have you as my daughter-in-law. Maybe, you both could inspire this family to love." He smiled. "I better be going now. My wife is waiting for me. Oh, if you wondering where he is, he's probably in his penthouse. Take the elevator and press the code 513. Nice talking to you." He walked away.

She did as Mr. Shields told her. She wanted to be with him. She entered the penthouse and noticed Darien drinking wine on the couch. "I never knew you were alcoholic." She said as she approached him. He was surrounded with bottles of wine.

He looked up at her hazily. "I'm not. A certain someone is turning me into one." He leaned back and looked at her. "What are you doing here? I thought you quit."

"I did quit. Your dad talked me and told me you would be here." She smiled.

"Oh? So, why are you here? What do you want?" He snapped as he poured himself another wine.

Serena stopped him from drinking more. "No more. You'll be drunk."

"I'm not in the mood to listen to you. " He picked up his glass. "If you came here to tell me not to drink, then go away now. I want to be alone."

She knocked his glass off his hands, pushed him on the couch and sat on his lap. "Are you mad, woman?! First, you leave me no matter how many times I told you I loved you, then you won't let me drink, and now, you're straddling my hips. If you won't love me back, then at least let me get over you." He yelled.

"Marry me." She whispered.

"What?!" He asked shocked.

"Marry me." She repeated wrapping her hands around his neck. "I want you to marry me."

"Oh really, why now? What about your precious career?" He asked.

"Screw it." She replied. "I would rather be with you and spend my life with you than inside a lonely lab."

"And my family? We live and breathe money. Remember?" He sat up straight.

"I want to marry you. Not your family. Besides, you learned to love unlike your other family members." She pushed back his hair from his eyes.

"Why now? A couple of hours ago, you left me. What changed? How can I be sure you won't leave me again?" He looked at her sternly.

She lowered her head and sighed. She grabbed his hand and placed it on her belly. "I was pregnant."

"You're pregnant?!"

"No. Was. I had a miscarriage. I went to the doctor, and she made me think. I want to have a baby. I want to be able to carry your child. Screw my career goals and your family. I want to be with you." She hugged him and began crying. "I never thought I would be loved or would be able to love like you. That's why I was insecure, but you are the best thing that has happened in my life. I don't want to let go." She hugged him tighter.

He was still shocked. He couldn't believe this was happening. Too much has happened in the same day. First, she left him and broke his heart. Then, she came back and made him mad because he wanted to get over her. Now, she tells him that he was going to be a father. He could have been a father. She wants to be with him. He couldn't believe it. He pulled her up and asked, "Could we still have children?"

She nodded as he wiped her tears. "Yeah, the doctor said miscarriages are normal within the first trimester."

"My God, we almost had a child…"He said still not over the shock.

"If I'm going to be a mom ever in my life, I want it to be with your children." She sniffed.

"We're getting married in two weeks." He said.

"Really?"

"Really."

"You'll marry me?"

"I will." He smiled. "You know, it feels weird to accept a marriage proposal. Usually, men ask the women."

"We'll be different. Besides, it's not like you didn't ask me." She grinned and hugged him again. "I love you."

"Of course, I do have a few conditions." Darien said sternly. "You made me almost beg for you to love me. So, you're going to pay for it." He grinned.

"Okay. What kind of conditions?" She asked.

"One, you'll wear negligees." He stated.

"What?!"

"Only in front of me!" He finished his sentence. She grumbled and nodded. "Two, there no limits on how many children we have."

"Are you kidding me? Two is enough. I don't want to go through childbirth more than that." She argued.

"You WILL if you want to marry me. Besides, we have drugs now so it won't be painful. If we're making love, and you get pregnant, then we're keeping it." He grinned.

"Arrgh. Fine." She sighed.

"I love you too, sweetheart." He lowered his head and kissed her pushing her back on the couch. Serena pulled him closer to deepen the kiss as they let their passion take control.

* * *

So, how was it? A bad ending for the story? I'm sorry. I didn't know what to do. I was running out of ideas. I hope I didn't disappoint you.

**Attention: A reviewer has requested a sequel to COL. If you would like me to write a sequel, then post a review, and if I get enough reviews, I'll definitely work on it.**

**To all my readers: **I wanted to thank you for your support. I loved reading all of the reviews. They really made me happy. It made me feel as if writing was my talent. I've been known as the talentless girl in my life, and knowing that people liked my writing made me really happy. I hope you liked this story. I'm sorry if I disappointed you with this ending. As for those who are wondering whether or not I will continue writing, I want to say that I have a story in my mind already. My next story is called _'Bittersweet Seven'_. Is it a strange title? That's what I could think of, but if I think of something better, then I'll probably change it. I'll probably post the new story in the summer or so. Once again, thanks for all the support! )

Please read and review!!

- Izuno


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